Saving Salem
by gurl3677
Summary: Daryl has joined Joe's gang as a need to save his own life and to not be alone. He hates being alone and hates the men Joe is with. He knows he needs to figure out a way to get away from them and look for Rick. Once at Joe's 'house', Daryl sees another problem, a girl who is there against her will. Can Daryl save her and fix the wrongs that lead up to him losing his family?
1. Chapter 1

*** Please review. I need to take a break from the other stories and this idea, I have been kicking around for a while. So I'm bring it here, in hopes that a fresh story will help me. Thank you!***

" Come on in, Daryl, and see your new home." Joe said with a slight swing of his arm. Daryl frowned and peered inside the big car garage as the other guys in Joe's gang walked in ahead of them. " Go ahead and go in. It's safe. We cleared it out a while ago and ain't had a problem with walkers yet." Daryl's eyes flicked to his face before he looked back inside the building. He stepped over the threshold as the other guys started to mill around. " Honey! We're home!" Joe yelled out when he stepped inside after Daryl and shut the door.

The sound of chain shuffling on the old cement floor made Daryl tense and his body freeze. It was a slow drag, a walker drag, and Daryl had to wonder what type of shit Joe was playing with. The Governor had had walkers on a chains too...did Joe have a walker they toyed with? If so , that was not something Daryl wanted to get mixed up with. You can't toy with walkers, sooner or later, they get loose and eat you. He might not want to be alone, but he didn't want to risk being bitten either.

" Relax, Daryl." Joe said, resting a hand on one of Daryl's shoulders. He squeezed it as he laughed. "It's not what you think."

Daryl's eyes flipped to his face then back towards the sound of the chain. But instead of a walker shuffling around the corner, there was a young woman. With a chain link around one of her ankles and the link was attached to big, long looking chain. She looked both tired and annoyed. Her hair was pulled up with some strands stuck to her skin by sweat and she was wearing a dirty, white tank top and a skirt that stop just above her knees. It was also dirty and very ill fitting. She was wearing a pair of black flats that seemed off with the times.

" Well don't just stand there, Salem. Say hello to Daryl." Joe said as he squeezed Daryl's shoulder a second before he started to rub it. Her jaw tensed as her eyes took Daryl in. There was anger swirling in the blue-green orbs as they raked down his body. Daryl found him straighten up while she sized him up, but for what? Was he going to have to fight her for a place in the garage? Daryl wasn't sure he could fight a woman. " Daryl, this is Salem. She takes care of us and we take care of her, isn't that right, Sweetheart?" Salem flinched when Joe made the statement and almost shrink back. " Go into the kitchen and fix him something eat. Man's been out there and he's tired. Come on, Daryl, I'll show you to our free room."

Salem turned and started to shuffle away as Joe passed in front of Daryl. She cast a look over her shoulder to the hunter as Daryl frowned. If they all took care of each other than why was she on a chain? Why did she look like she wanted to throw up when they looked at her? Daryl followed after Joe as she disappeared into another room.

" What is this place?" Daryl asked while he looked around.

" Well, it used to be a car garage. Salem's daddy owed it. I guess they lived there with her brothers so lucky for us, there are bedrooms here, five her daddy built." Joe said. Daryl moved up to his side while they walked down a hallway, passing a few doors.

" He still here?" Daryl asked.

" No. He didn't make it and that is why we take care of her." Joe said.

" Why you keep her chained up?" Daryl asked.

" Here you go." Joe said, clearly brushing off Daryl's question. He grabbed a door handle and turned it before he swung it open. Joe grinned at him as Daryl took in the room. It was a small but it was a room. There was a twin size bed, a dresser and a closet. In the middle of the room was a support pole that ran up from the floor through the ceiling of the room. Daryl frowned again. " You can stay here. The bathroom is just across the way. We have running water. Sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's not. Lucky for us, Salem's daddy thought ahead. There's a well in the back and we run on propane. Got a nice stock pile of it in the back, which is why we have power. Get comfortable and I'll send Salem in with a sandwich and a beer." Another clap on Daryl's back then Joe was walking away.

Daryl walked into the room, still taking it in, taking everything in. Joe's group was made up men that Daryl had known his whole life, back before the walkers came. They were drug users, fighters, rough necks. They would fought outsiders and each other. They were mouthy and took what they want, when they wanted. This was the type of world they loved because there was no law to speak off. No one to stand up to them and they could kill as they went. And killing living people were something Daryl was sure they didn't have a problem doing.

" Here." Daryl turned back to the store at the sound of the young woman's voice. She was standing just outside his room with a frown. In one hand, there was a plate with a sandwich sitting on it and in her other hand was a beer. " It's just peanut butter and jelly. We don't have lunch meat or anything." She snapped at him. Daryl didn't move towards her and she didn't move towards him. Instead, her frown deepen and she rolled her eyes. " Well are you going to take it or what? We really can't afford to waste food."

" Yeah, I'll take it." Daryl muttered. She closed her eyes and sighed before she shook her head and looked at him again.

" You need to come and get it." She snapped before her frown disappeared and her shoulders bunched up and uncertainly crept through her anger. " My chain isn't long enough for me to come into your room." She said quietly. Daryl crossed the distance between them in a few strides. He reached out and took the plate first and then the beer as they stared at each other.

" Thanks." Daryl said in his quiet but rough voice. She blinked and gave her head a short shake, as if she didn't understand what he had said or was unsure if she had heard him right. Something flicked across her eyes but it was so fast, Daryl couldn't be sure what it was.

" You're welcome." She said softly. Neither of them moved for a few seconds as they both took each other in. Salem cleared her throat before she swallowed. " The bread isn't great. I made it but I'm not a chef." She said as her hands came up to press into her stomach.

" That's enough talking." Joe said as he suddenly appeared at her side, telling Daryl that he had been waiting just on the other side of the wall. " Don't talk the man to death now, Salem. You go on and get ready for your shower. I'll be along to let you in the bathroom shortly." Anger and tension moved through Salem at once. Her face darken and whatever softness Daryl had thought he had seen was gone. She spun around and walked past Joe and out of Daryl's sight.

" You rest and eat. I'm sure it's been a busy day for you. After Salem washes up, you can take a shower. We like to space them out so you'll only be able to shower every other day but hey, it's better than never being able to shower, right? You enjoy that beer. Later on, I have another surprise for you." Joe smiled before he grabbed the door knob to the door and shut Daryl off from the rest of the garage.

Daryl turned and looked over the small space again. He set the beer and the plate down on top of the dresser. He snatched the sandwich up and took a bite. The bread was a little rough, a little stale but he won't complain. Daryl's stomach growled, reminding him that it had been a while since he last ate...with Beth. Beth, who had been taken...Daryl frowned as he chewed and tried to push her from his mind. There was nothing he could about that right now. He had tried to follow the car that had taken her but he had lost it and now he was here.

While Daryl ate the sandwich, he looked through the closet. He shifted through the shirts, seeing all men's clothes. Tee shirts, long sleeve shirts, flannels, all hanging up neatly and not things Joe or his men would wear. Daryl was sure these clothes belonged to Salem's brothers, not her dad. There was a young man taste to the tee shirts, not an older man. There were band shirts, some of which the names Daryl knew, some he didn't.

When he was done looking the closet over, he walked back to the dresser and looked through those drawers. They were filled with socks, boxers, boxer briefs, jeans and cargo pants and most were his size and they looked almost new. No holes that he could see, no patches placed over well worn spots. Maybe Daryl could borrow some of them and she won't mind.

Daryl walked over to the bed and slowly sank down onto it, testing the softness of the mattress while he finished the sandwich. He laid down over the covers to stare at the ceiling. After a quick twist of the beer cap, Daryl placed his left hand under his head. He brought the beer to his lips and took a long swig, closing his eyes. It was lukewarm but a beer was a beer and Daryl wasn't going to be picky.

TWDTWDTWD

After Daryl had been able to take a cold shower, he changed into some of the clothes in his new room. He picked a pair of dark grey cargo pants and a long sleeve, dark blue flannel shirt. He kept his leather vest on with his knife strapped at his right hip and his cross bow on his back. He wasn't stupid enough to leave his weapons where any of the men could get to them. He didn't trust any of them, not even Joe.

Joe showed Daryl around the garage, turned house. There were old cars in the front of the garage, where Daryl could tell Salem's family had done most of their work. Daryl saw the other bedrooms, the storage room and the kitchen. There were big windows, located at the very top of the building, that provided them with natural light so they didn't need to turn on the huge, hanging lights. Steel poles ran from the floor to ceiling every so often, as support beams for the roof.

At dinner time, the group gather around what was a crude dining room of sorts. The men talked and grumbled together, with a few of them eyeing Daryl as he sat down at the table. Joe was at the end of the table with Daryl off to his left. Joe was smiling as he listened to his men talk. He was acting almost like a proud papa, watching his sons.

Salem walked into the room, carrying a large tray and her frown. A frown that harden when she noticed the shirt Daryl was wearing. Her hands tighten on the tray, making Daryl shrink back in his chair. She was unhappy that he was wearing her family's clothes. The old Daryl won't have given a shit if it hurt her feelings. He would have told her to suck it up but he wasn't the man he used to be when the world first plunged into darkness. Being with his group had changed him. It had taught him to care about others, to care about their thoughts and their feelings and this new Daryl felt bad that he hadn't asked her first if he could borrow the shirt and the pants.

" What you make for us tonight?" Len asked, slapping Salem hard on the ass. Hard enough that Daryl flinched and she sucked in her breath.

" Now, now, Len, that's not how we treat Salem, is it?" Joe asked. He reached up and took a hold of Salem's wrist. He drew her to him, smiling the entire time. " What do you have for us tonight, Sweetheart?"

" Soup." She set the tray down on the table before she began to pass the bowls of chicken noodle soup around.

" I'm sick of soup." Dan snapped.

" Hey now," Joe began. " we have no right to be picky. We eat what Salem makes for us and we be thankful. After all, she could kick us right out of here, isn't that right, Sweetheart?" The others around the table smiled and chucked while they nodded. Daryl frowned as he watched Salem. There are no doubt in his mind that she did want to kick them out but did not have the power Joe suggested she did.

The rest of the dinner had Salem sitting on a stool in the corner, eating her soup quietly as she stared at the floor. The men laughed and told dirty jokes. Joe nodded to each other but never spoke. Daryl ate slowly, taking it all in. He watched how when the men wanted or need something, they would order Salem around or toss a piece of bread at her. She served them with no words but bitterness erected in her face.

After they were done with meager dinner, Salem worked on clearing the plates while the men milled around. Some of them lounged on one of the old couches, smoking quietly. Joe steered Daryl towards the main room, where they took seats at another couch. Joe offered Daryl a cigar but he waved it away with a frown.

" So what happen to your group?" Joe asked.

" Didn't have a group. It was me and my brother but he didn't make it." Daryl said. He didn't know if any of his group was still alive and he wasn't about to chance it. He wasn't going to give men like Joe any thoughts about trying to find them because Daryl knew what they would do, that is...if any of them were alive.

" Well, it's getting late now. I'll see you off to your room." Joe said after a while. He grabbed a flashlight from the small table in front of them and clicked it on. " We try hard not to use the big lights at night. We haven't had a walker problem here but that doesn't mean we want to advertise that we are here." He pushed himself up, followed by Daryl. " We try to keep it down at night, use the flashlights when we can." Daryl followed him down the hallway that held the bedrooms. " Get some rest, Daryl. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We are going looting and making plans."

" Plans for what?" Daryl asked. Joe smiled, lazily.

" Life." Joe clapped a hand on Daryl's shoulder again, like they were old friends. " Have a good night."

Daryl walked into his new room, closing the door quietly. He frowned and shook his head. He need to figure things out. He needed to figure this place out and these men. He didn't want to be alone but he wasn't sure he wanted to stay with them either and what was going on with Salem? She wasn't here because she wanted to be, as much as Joe wanted him to believe that. Maybe Daryl could figure out a way to get them both away from this group.

A soft knock on the door made Daryl turn around to face it. He quickly walked back to it and opened the door, surprised to see Salem standing there. Daryl frowned and looked out into the hallway, finding her alone. He looked back at her. Daryl stared down at the young woman as she stood just outside the doorway to his room. She had her hands pressed into her stomach, again, and looked equal parts disgusted and scared. She closed her eyes and blow out a short breath before she lifted her head and meant him hard in his eyes. Daryl pressed his lips together and waited to see why she had knocked on his door.

" I am here for you to use for the night." Salem said quietly. Daryl blinked and frowned.

" What was that?" He asked.

" I am here to keep you company for the night, per Joe's request." She snapped with anger leaking into her eyes.

" For what?" Daryl asked. Salem's jaw tighten as her body tensed.

" To play cards, what do you think?" She snapped. Daryl frowned, making her sigh and her shoulders sag. " For company." She said quietly.

" I don't need company." Daryl said as he stepped back and start to shut the door. To his surprise, her hand shot up to grab it, stopping the door was closing all the way. The anger had disappeared quickly and was replaced with something else...maybe fear? Her eyes darted to her left, towards the other rooms before she looked back at him.

" Please let me come in...I won't bother you. I'll stay in the corner, I swear, but if you don't let me in the night, one of the other guys will come for me." She whispered.

" Come for you for what?" Daryl asked without thinking. Salem looked from one eye to the other with her chest raising and falling slowly. Suddenly it dawned on him. Joe had sent Salem to Daryl for the night, for sex, not to try and get more information like Daryl had first thought. And if Daryl turned her away, someone else would come in and snatch her up, most likely taking her even though she didn't want it.

" Please." Salem whispered, pleading with him with her eyes. Daryl nodded slowly and moved out of the doorway to let her in but Salem didn't move. She closed her eyes again and sighed as the tension left her body. When she opened them again, the fear was gone and the anger was back. " You need to go to Joe. Tell him you want my chain. He will unchain me from the pole so I can come in ." Salem said. " He's waiting for you in the main room"

With his frown still firmly in place, Daryl walked down the hallway until it opened up to the large room. Joe was sitting on a chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, sharping one of his knives. Beside him was one of the poles that ran from the floor to the ceiling, a pole that the end of Salem's chain was wrapped around. Daryl walked over to him.

" Did Salem come to you?" Joe asked without looking up. Daryl stopped walking and took a hold of the strips of his cross bow.

" She did." He said.

" Good...good. She's a good girl so don't rough her up to bad. You get her for two nights. Earned that much time by proving yourself today." Joe set his knife down then reached into his front pocket for a little key. Joe looked up at Daryl and smiled. " She's clean. I make the others wear condoms when they are with her. Won't want any little babies around here. I'm going to unchain her and walk it back with you. There's a pole in your room so I'll lock her up in there. She'll be able to reach your bed and be able to do whatever you want her too."

" You let the others earn time with her?" Daryl asked while he watch Joe crouched down and begin to unlock Salem's chain. Now Daryl got it. Now he understood by Joe kept her chained like he did. He understood why she was dressed the way she was. The skirt made it easy for the men to have at her.

" Course. There's nothing wrong with a man spending time inside a woman." Joe said. He grabbed the chain with one hand and used his other one to push himself up to a standing position. He smiled at Daryl while he began to wind the chain up around his arm. " In turn for her services, we protect her and feed her. "

" She alright with that?" Daryl asked. Joe gave him a smirk before he started walking towards the hallway.

" Sure, she is. It's a tough world out there. She won't last a day without us. There are worst things out there than us." He answered.

Daryl frowned but followed after him. She wasn't alright with what they made her do, that much Daryl knew. He didn't know her but he was willingly to bet that if she was sent out into the world, she'd figure shit out. Beth had...at the thought of the young blond, Daryl felt another flash of pain. His frown harden while he walked.

Once they reached Daryl's room, Joe reached out for Salem. She flinched as his hand slipped into her hair. He smiled, seeming to ignore the discomfort on her face and the tension in her body. He pulled her against him by her hair, pulling a whine out of her throat. Joe's eyes narrowed down as he stared at her hard, giving Daryl a glimpse of the real Joe, letting Daryl see he wasn't the caring guy he wanted Daryl to think he was. Not that Daryl had believed it before.

" You play nice with Daryl and maybe he'll play nice with you. You know how to be a nice girl, don't you?" Joe asked. Anger flashed in her eyes but all it did was make Joe tugged harder on her hair. " Don't you?" He asked again.

" Yes." Salem whispered. Joe smiled and nodded.

" Let's get you in his room than." He said.


	2. Chapter 2

*** Thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews! Sunday is the day for the new season! My online TWD group is going crazy! ***

Joe left Daryl's new room and closed the door after he had locked the end of Salem's chain around the pole in Daryl's room. Salem was sitting on the bed while Daryl stood in the middle of the room. She was staring at the floor while he watched her, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. He started to bite against the inside of his lips. Should he say something to her? Should she be talking? Should he do something? Daryl didn't have a lot of experience with women and how to handle them. A second later, Salem sighed, long and loudly as she raised her eyes to look at him.

" Do you want me to take my shirt off or just push my panties down?" She asked. Daryl frowned.

" What?" He asked. She started to roll her eyes but stopped, as if she was unsure of what his reaction to the movement would be.

" Do you want me to get undressed or just take my panties off?" Salem asked again.

" We ain't havin sex." Daryl expected his answer to her would relax her. He expected that it would sooth her and make her feel less scared or angry but that wasn't what he was seeing. Instead of being glad he wasn't going to rape her, because everything in Daryl knew she didn't want to sleep with him, a look of panic passed over her. She shot up and started to wring her hands together.

" If we don't have sex, Joe will take me out of here and make me sleep with someone else." She whispered.

" I don't have sex with girls against their will. I ain't a rapist." Daryl snapped. Her eyes shifted to the door before they went back to his face. She took a step towards him then froze as her breathing increased.

" He is listening at the door. If you really won't rape me, then let me trick him into thinking we are having sex so I won't have to go to him or the others." Salem begged in a whisper. Daryl frowned and looked over to the door before back at her. He walked over the door in his steady, silent way. He crouched down and looked through the crack at the door frame. He could see two shadows from Joe's shoes. Daryl stood up and turned around to look at Salem.

" Why is he listenin?" Daryl asked in a whisper.

" He wants to make sure I am doing whatever you want and he assumes you want sex." Salem whispered. Daryl walked over to the bed and placed his hands on the foot on the bed frame.

" I ain't a rapist." He hissed. Salem nodded slowly before an idea passed over her, making her smile. She climbed onto the bed and started to jump slowly. Daryl frowned as she jumped harder, hard enough that the bed started to creek and groan.

" You need to make some noise. Moan or groan or something so he thinks we are having sex." She whispered. Daryl frowned, making her stop. " Please, Daryl...please." She said as she shook her head. " I can't go to them tonight. I just can't." Daryl studied the desperation on her voice and the fear in her eyes. Two emotions Daryl understood better than most people. He sighed but nodded to her.

Salem offered him another smile and started to jump again. Daryl grunted, feeling embarrassed but understanding why he had to do it. If he didn't help her play this game, she would be abused and Daryl was done with people around him being abused. She kept her smile and he was struck by how pretty she looked. He grunted again, louder, his eyes following her as she jumped and the bed groaned.

They worked together to fool Joe, with Daryl grunting louder every few moments. She jumped faster and harder, over and over she jumped and he grunted until she whispered that they needed to finish it. She jumped once last time before she let herself fall straight onto the bed. Daryl followed her example by groaning loud and long. They stared at each other for a few seconds, with her smiling. She crawled across the bed quickly.

" Check to see if he's still there." She urged in a whisper. Daryl nodded before he turned around and hurried to the door. He dropped down to his knees and look under the door in time to see the shadows walking away. Daryl turned back around and stood up.

" He's gone." He said. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She placed her hands where Daryl had had his moments before. She opened her eyes and rubbed her lips together.

" Thank you, Daryl. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this mean to me." Salem whispered. Daryl nodded because he did know what it meant. When he was younger, he would have given anything for someone to save him, even if it was just for one night. He walked back towards the middle of the room, pulling over the chair that was in the room with him. He flipped it around so he could sit down with the chair's back facing her. He let his arms cross over the back of the chair and his chin came to rest on top of his arms.

" He makes you sleep with them?" Daryl asked. Salem sat down with her back against the wall and her legs crossed over each other.

" Yeah." She dropped her eyes to the blanket before she soothed her hand over it, over and over again. " Every night he decides who has earned me. If he doesn't think any of them have then he takes me for himself."

" How do they earn you?" Daryl asked, making her shrug.

" Different ways. Sometimes it's because they took down a certain number of dead. Sometimes it's based on the amount of food they hunt and kill. Sometimes it's based on what was found when they were looting things." Salem said. She pulled at a string on the comforter, doing anything to keep from looking at him.

" You ain't tried to leave?" Daryl asked. That did earn Daryl a look. She lifted her leg and gave it a shake, maknig the long chain rattle.

" Only Joe has a key and he never leaves it anywhere that I could get it." She said as she let her leg come to rest on the bed again.

" Where's your family? He kill them?" Daryl asked. She dropped her eyes again and started to pick at the threads on the blanket.

" He killed my dad. It was just my dad and I living here when they came. My brothers had went out to get us supplies a long time ago and they just never came back." She said. She let out a long sigh and swept her eyes around the room. " This was Travis' room." She said softly.

" You and your dad fix this place up?" Daryl asked. He needed to get the conversation off the idea of losing brothers. He still wasn't completely over the death of his own brother.

" My dad and my brothers did when I was young. My mom died of cancer and my dad didn't want to stay in the house she passed in so we moved in here. He fixed it up for this back part had our bedrooms and there is the kitchen, bathroom and dining room and the front half was where he ran his business." Salem filled in.

" How they find you?" Daryl asked. Salem looked back to the blanket again.

" They showed up here one day. My dad offered them a place to stay because until then, we thought we were the only living people left. I think we were just too excited to see them to really LOOK at them, if that makes sense. They were here for three days before Joe had Len shoot my dad in the head in front of me. Joe hit me in the back of the head with something and I passed out. When I woke up, I was chained." She swallowed, briefly met Daryl's eyes before she closed her eyes. " That had to have been...a few months ago or so." She looked at him again and shrugged.

" You ain't left here since?" Daryl asked.

" No. They never let me leave the building. If I have to go in a room and the chain isn't long enough for me to reach it, Joe undoes the lock then locks the chain back up on the pole closest to the room I need to be in. He comes into the bathroom and watches while I shower. He shaves my legs for me too because he said men like soft legs and he doesn't want me to get any ideas about killing myself."

Daryl nodded. He knew everything she was saying was the truth. Daryl knew right from the get go what type of men Joe and his gang were. They weren't men made by this world, men that had been forced to go against themselves to survive. They were men of the old world who used the new world to indulged in their dark wants and needs. They were men like Daryl's dad had been, men like Merle had been. Even if Daryl hadn't recognized how they were, the fact that Joe made Salem offer herself to him told him everything Daryl needed to know.

Joe tried to come off as caring but tough. He tried to come off like he worked hard to take care of his boys and Salem. That he protected them and provided for them but Daryl had known that all a front. Joe ruled them. Len and some of the others might try and come off as uncontrollable dogs, Daryl knew Joe was the one who was ruthless. And he knew the others knew it too. Daryl knew what the boys had to know...that if any one of them tried to go against Joe, tried to take over, Joe would kill them.

No, Joe wasn't tricking Daryl in the type of man he was. Hearing Salem's story only confirmed what Daryl already knew. He had to get away from them and fast. Daryl had went with Joe because he hadn't had a choice. It had been either go with them or be killed. Daryl wasn't ready to die, not yet. And now, Daryl was glad he had given up to them and followed. He hadn't been able to save Beth. He hadn't been able to help the others but he could help Salem. He could save her, or die trying. He just needed to figure out how he was going to get her unchained and both of them out of the warehouse.

" You're not like them, are you?" Salem asked, pulling Daryl out of his thoughts. He frowned and shook his head. " Then why are you with them?" Daryl cleared his throat and sat up straight.

" It was either come with them or get killed." He answered honestly. " I ain't ready to die just yet."

" Will you stay or try and leave?" She asked.

" Guess I'll stay for a bit." Daryl said. He wasn't going to tell her everything, not just yet. He needed to figure out if Joe had Salem under his thumb. If Daryl told her he was planning on leaving, she may turn around and tell Joe, getting Daryl killed. Just because Joe was using Salem and keeping her chained up, didn't mean Salem wasn't loyal to him in same way. Daryl hated his dad for how he tried him but that didn't mean he would have let anyone hurt the man.

" You shouldn't." Salem said softly, shaking her head slowly.

" And why's that?" Daryl asked.

" There used to be more guys here but Joe either killed them or had them killed by the others. If anyone goes against him or questions him or pisses him off, they are dead. The other guys are scared of him. He's just awful." She said. Daryl nodded. She was confirming just what he thought. " And you don't strike me as someone who takes orders well. Watch your back, Daryl."

" Why you warnin me like that?" Daryl asked. Salem shifted her position, drawing her legs up to her chest to wrap her arms around them.

" Because you're not raping me." She said as they stared at each other. Daryl swallowed as he took in the pained expression on her face. His mind was made up. He would get them out of there, even if she didn't want to leave, even if for whatever reason, Salem was loyal to Joe.

" Should get some sleep." Daryl muttered as he started to stand. Salem nodded, dropping her legs down so she could also stand up.

" Yeah. There are two blankets on the bed, can I just have one? I'll sleep in the corner but sometimes it gets chilly in here at night." Salem said, making Daryl frown again.

" You ain't takin the floor. Give me the blanket and the extra pillow. I'll sleep on the floor." Daryl said.

" Really?!" Salem smiled excitedly, showing Daryl more than she knew just how badly Joe and the gang had been treating her. She was passed along them like a reward, raped and made to do God knew what else and they made her sleep on the floor. She wasn't allowed any privacy either, with Joe watching her shower and shaving her legs for her...

" Yeah." Daryl said.

She quickly got off the bed and ripped one of the blankets off the bed. She grabbed one of the pillows and whipped around. She stared at Daryl for a few seconds, as if she wasn't convinced that he wasn't going to chance his mind and rape her, or make her do other things. She held her breath as she handed him the pillow first.

" I ain't gonna touch you." Daryl said quietly. Salem nodded slowly before she handed over the blanket next.

" Okay." She said.

Daryl moved across the room, as far from her as he could get. He laid the pillow down then laid on the floor, on his back. His cross bow was sitting beside him, along with his knife. Daryl held the blanket against him as he frowned, thinking about everything he had learned from Salem. He spared her a glance, finding the girl curled up facing the wall. Daryl sighed and looked back to the ceiling.

Salem rolled over to stare at the newest member of Joe's group. The light was still on, as neither one moved to turn it out. She because she didn't trust Daryl and if he was going to attack her, she wanted to see it coming. She wasn't sure why Daryl didn't turn it off. She stuffed her hands under her brother's pillow, missing her family more than ever. She hadn't let herself think about her brothers in so long. Thinking about them made her think of her dad and that just brought fresh wounds to the surface for her. She refused to cry anymore. She wasn't going to cry in front of any of them anymore. It didn't help her, if anything, they used her tears against her.

Suddenly, Daryl threw the blankets off him, making her jump up and shrink against the wall. He frowned and shook his head at her, telling her nothing. She flatted her hands against the wall at her sides, ready to try and defend herself against him, if needed. Just because the others raped her didn't mean she just let it happen and never fought back.

Salem watched as he walked over to the dresser that held some of her brother's things. He placed his shoulder against the dresser and began to push. He kept his tight frown as the dresser started to slide against the floor. Salem breathing and felt herself started to relax. She placed away from the wall and watched him as he started at the floor and moved the dresser.

" What are you doing?" She asked.

" Make sure no one sneaks up on us in the night." Daryl grunted out.

Salem scrambled up quickly. She hurried across the room, making Daryl pause. He stood up straight to watch as she came to his side. She gave him a curt nod before putting her whole side against the dresser. Daryl moved over enough to give her more room and together, they pushed the heave dresser over until it was standing right in front of the door. Salem turned and looked at up him.

" Any of them try and come in, we'll hear them." He said. " Walkers get in the warehouse, we'll be able to hide in here without them findin us."

" Okay." Salem said, nodding again at him. She sighed and bit down into her bottom lip. " I'm sorry. When you got up so quickly..."

" Told you, I ain't a rapist. Rape ain't sumthin I ever did or ever will do." Daryl said.

" I know. I'm sorry." Salem said. Daryl couldn't be mad at her for thinking he had changed his mind. This was her world now. All she knew now was men forcing themselves on her. " Goodnight, Daryl." She said.

After she crawled into the bed and made herself comfortable again, Daryl turned the light off then made his way back to his make shift bed.


	3. Chapter 3

*** Please review! Thank you for all the favorites, followers and reviews!***

After Salem and Daryl moved the dresser away from the doorway, Daryl moved to grab the handle but Salem put her hand on his arm to still him. Daryl froze and stared at her hand where it laid. People did not touch him, strangers didn't. Sometimes Carol had, Beth had, Rick and him had hugged a few times and Daryl had held the baby but no one else touched him. No one else dared to touch him.

" Daryl?" Salem asked. His eyes flicked to her face as he dropped his arm so she couldn't touch him anymore. " Thank you for last night. For letting me take the bed and for not...hurting me. You're going to keep what happen between us, right?" The fear was back in her eyes but there was something else too. Something Daryl now knew was hope. He had seen it a few times in Beth's big eyes.

" I ain't sayin shit." He said quietly.

" When you go out there, find Joe. He has to come and unchain my chain, okay? If you don't get him right away, then I can't shower and get breakfast going on time and if I don't shower when he wants and get breakfast when he wants, he'll get Len after me." Salem said, moving away from the door. Daryl gave her a curt nod before he opened the door and slipped from the room.

Daryl took a deep breath and started down the hall. His mind was going over everything he had learned the night before, everything Salem had told him. His steps took him closer to the main living area but his mind took him deeper into his thoughts. He was right about what he had first thought about Joe and his boys. Rapist and murderers, all of them. Abusers. Just like Daryl's dad, just like Merle had been at one point in his life. Just like the men Daryl and Merle had run around with.

" Daryl. How was your night?" Joe asked, pulling Daryl from his thoughts.

" It was fine." Daryl answered.

" Good. I need to get Salem into the shower. Men like her fresh. If you want, you can take her for me, or I can do it." Joe said.

" You make her shower in front of you?" Daryl asked, even though he knew the answer. The last thing he wanted Joe to know was that he and Salem had spent their time taking about him.

" Yeah. Since her daddy died, I have been scared she might take her own life. She's dear to me and the fellas. I want to make sure she doesn't slit her wrists or try and drown herself in the tub. Poor thing, she just can't get over the old man's death. " Joe said, pulling himself up and off the couch. " She's weak, you know. She needs me to take care of her and part of that is suffering through watching her shower." Joe clapped a hand onto Daryl's arm before Daryl turned and walked with the other man back towards Salem.

" She don't seem weak to me." Daryl muttered.

" Well that's just not fair for you to say now, is it? You have only spent one night with her." Joe came to stop just outside of the room. He smiled at Daryl without opening the door. " So, are you going to watch the shower or am I?" Joe asked. Daryl frowned but didn't answer. Joe nodded and swung open the door. Salem was standing with her back against the far wall. At the sight of the two men, she stood up straight and a look of anger, worry and wariness passed over her. She clasped her hands together in front of her stomach before she started to wring them together. " Good morning, Darling. Daryl tells me you were a good girl last night. Let's get you to the shower so you can get busy with breakfast. Your boys have a busy day ahead of them." Daryl saw her cringe but Joe either didn't see it or didn't care and Daryl would bet on the second one.

Joe moved to the pole in the middle of the room. He bent down and unlocked the chain. As he started to stand again, he began to wrap the chain around his arm, smiling like a child with a lollipop. He hitched his head towards the door. Salem's eyes darted to Daryl then back at Joe. She pursed her lips together as she walked towards the door, her head held high. Daryl had to admit he was impressed. She wasn't going to cry in front of them. She wasn't going to act like she was scared or even bothered by Joe even though Daryl knew better. She was refusing to show her emotions and feelings in front of her abuser and that was something Daryl could understand. It was something Daryl had done himself. He had learned from early childhood to lock down his emotions and feelings.

Joe and Salem moved down the hall with Daryl trailing behind them. Joe stopped at the bathroom door, opened it and ushered her inside. Daryl didn't stop walking until he reached the door, at the same time Joe turned to face him. The other man winked with a smile as Salem took a seat on the edge of the tub. She looked across the room at Daryl. Anger flashing in her eyes, and shame and embarrassment.

" We will see you in a bit, Daryl." Joe said. He started to close the door and without thinking, Daryl's arm shot up. His hand grabbed the door to stop it before the other man could close it right away. Joe's eyebrows shot up.

" You said I could watch her." Daryl heard himself say. He felt himself start to sweat so he forced himself to take a slow, deep breath to calm his nerves.

" I did but you didn't answer me. I assumed you didn't want the job." Joe said. " Did you change your mind?" Daryl nodded. Joe forced a tight smile but turned around to face the girl. " Well, Darling, Daryl here has offered to make sure you don't off yourself. Be a good girl now." Working quickly, Joe looped her chain around the pole in the bathroom and locked it into place. He turned around and smiled again at Daryl. " She'll undress herself. She'll keep her panties on the chain. I'm going to go and get her some fresh clothes then I'll unchain her ankle so she can get dressed after her shower." Daryl nodded again. " Be a good girl, Darling." Joe threw over his shoulder before he walked out.

Once they were alone, Daryl begin to wonder what he was doing and why he had stopped Joe. He looked across the room to find Salem staring on the floor while still sitting on the tub rim. Her hands were gripping the white porcelain. Daryl knew then why he was standing in the bathroom with her. To protect her. To stop her from being raped again, at least right now. He was doing this for her what he had wished had been done at least once for him, stopping the abuse for now.

" I'll turn around. You can get undressed and shower. I won't watch." Daryl said. Salem looked up in surprise. She swallowed hard.

" You'll stay turned around?" Salem asked quietly. Daryl nodded. She closed her eyes and smiled as she sighed. When she looked at him again, Daryl did just what he said. He turned around and stared at the door.

A second later, Daryl heard the water to the shower turn on. He tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling and force himself to breath deep. He was getting embarrassed just knowing that there was a girl standing not far behind him, getting naked. Daryl couldn't remember the last time he had been in a room with a naked woman. He wasn't sure he had ever been in the room with a naked woman who wasn't a stripper or a whore Merle had paid to fuck. Daryl stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked back to the door, unsure of what to do with himself.

After she was showered and wrapped in the towel, she gave Daryl the okay to turn around. He tried not to let his eyes trail over her but he was a man, after all...Her hair was hanging down over her shoulders in wet, tangled locks. It looked darker than he had thought it was at first. Her skin was pale from being kept inside the large garage for so many months She was skinny in an unnatural way. Daryl guessed it was from a lack of eating much. He could see her collarbone sticking out more then it should on a healthy person. Her shoulders were thin and her frame was tiny under the towel.

" Daryl..." She said quietly. His eyes shot to her face. " You said you weren't like them..." His face heated. He had said that and it was the truth. He wasn't like the other men and yet, here he was, leering at her.

" I ain't. I'll get your clothes." Daryl spun around to grab the door and throw it open. Joe was leaning against the wall across from the door, a pile of clothes in his arms and another smile on his face. Daryl felt his anger started to climb.

" She finished?" Joe asked. Daryl nodded, knowing he needed to keep his anger in control. He won't risk getting kicked out and leaving her defenseless...no. He had left Beth alone and lost her. He won't leave Salem.

TWDTWDTWD

After she was dressed and chained to the pole between the kitchen and the main part of the building. Salem disappeared into the kitchen to start making breakfast. Daryl listened as Joe gave the others and him a run down of what they needed to do that day. Daryl gleamed from the conversation that while they would be looting more of the houses and stores in the area that they hadn't touched before, they were also on the look out for a man that had killed one of the members of their group. The man had killed him and then let the group member turn. The remaining members were ready for revenge against him while Joe just listened and nodded as they described what they were going to do to him when they find him.

Somewhere, in the back of Daryl's mind, he wandered if it was Rick. But he kept that thought, that hope, right were it came from, the back. If this gang thought Daryl knew who attacked their fallen member, they would turn on like a pack of wild dogs. This was just another reason Daryl needed to stay close to them until he could figure more things out.

" Alright, let's thank Salem for another awesome breakfast then get our day started. We are going back to that house and going to look to see if we can find out anything about the man who killed our dear friend." Joe said as he sat at the end of the table.

Daryl glanced up at Salem as she made her rounds, picked up plates and sliver-wear. She was back to being angry. Daryl could see it on her face. She passed one man after another, reaching out and taking their plate. None of them paid her any attention, they were completely focused on Joe and his words. All of them but Len. When Salem reached him, Len wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a swift tug. She tumbled down onto his lap, barely managing to keep a hold of the plates.

" Give us some sugar!" Len said.

He grabbed her by the neck and start to yank her head down towards his mouth, even though she fought against him. She tried to arch her back and push with her legs but he had an iron grip on her. Daryl's body tensed and his hands went to fists as they rested on the table top. Len snapped at her to stop fighting him and actually slapped her across the face. The sound of a bare hand slapping against a cheek made all the men who quiet. Some were grinning, some weren't paying attention. Daryl felt his anger heat deep inside him. He was torn between snapping at the man and just watching it. Daryl made a split second decision and placed his hands on the table edge, ready to stand when Joe spoke up.

" Thats enough, Len." He said. Daryl's eyes shot over to the leader, slightly surpised to see Joe was looking at him.

" I just want a kiss. Stop fighting me!" Len snapped, slapping Salem again.

" I said that's enough. Let her go." Joe said again.

" Come on, Joe." Len whined. Salem punched Len in the shoulder and cursed at him. Len's sneered at her. " Fucking bitch!" He snapped. He quickly raised his hand to hit her again but Joe's words stilled him.

" Don't make me say it again." Len's eyes narrowed as he glared at the girl. " You let her go now. I done told you today and tonight, Salem is Daryl's. You want her tomorrow, earn her today." Joe said, keeping his voice low and even. " Now you let her go, you hear?" Len's mouth tighten but after a few seconds, he released Salem. She shot off his lap, sparing a look at Daryl. " Now tell Daryl you're sorry."

" What?! For what!" Len yelled. Salem's face was beat read and she kept her eyes downcast. She was seething with anger. If Daryl had to guess, he'd say she was both angry and embarrassed that she had been man handled and hadn't been able to stop it from happening. Daryl understood that feeling well.

" For grabbing his woman on his day." Joe said.

" She ain't his woman! She's all ours!" Len defended.

" Today and tonight, she's his." Joe said, finally breaking eye contact from Daryl to look at Len, even losing his calm. " Now tell him you are sorry." Len was almost shaking with his anger. His hands went into tight balls, so tight, his knuckles bleached white. " Be quick now, or I'll lose my patience."

" Sorry." Len muttered. Joe smiled and nodded.

" Good man. Salem, go get those dishes clean now." He said. She spun on her heel and started to hurry towards the door way when Joe's voice stopped her. " Darling, you forgetting something?" Her body tensed without her turning around. " Go on." Slowly, she turned around so she was facing Daryl. She lifted her chin in defiance. She took the few steps it took to reach Daryl. She stared at him and swallowed hard.

" Have a good day and stay safe." She muttered as she and Daryl stared at each other. To Daryl's surprise, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his hard. But as quickly as it happen to him, she pulled away and left the room with her face still inflame.

" Now wasn't that nice? It's always nice to have a man's woman kiss him before he goes out into this dangerous world. Makes a man feel good to know she wants him to return safely." Joe said with a smile. He clapped his hands towards and rubbed them together. " Let's head out, boys." At once, they all pushed away from the table and started to raise. Daryl frowned but slowly followed their example.

Salem placed the dishes into the sink, resisting the urge to throw them and break them. Her cheek stun from the slap. Her pride was wounded from it and the forced kissed she had shared with Daryl. Well not really shared. His lips hadn't pressed back into hers. She had kissed him but he hadn't kissed her back. He hadn't grabbed her head to hold her in place. He hadn't forced his tongue into her mouth. He hadn't done anything but sit there and for that, Salem was thankful. If it had been any of the others, there would have been a hand on her ass or up her shirt and a tongue down her throat. Then again, after last night and today in the bathroom, Salem knew Daryl was different. She knew Daryl wasn't like the others.

" Listen here, you little bitch!" Salem was suddenly thrust forward. She was crushed against the sink so fast, her hands flew up to brace against the wall directly in front of her. Len grabbed the hair at the back of her head. He yanked it down so hard, a hot rush of tears burned at her eyes instantly. His harsh, horrible breath burned her sense as he pressed himself into her back. " I don't give two shits who you belong too today, when I want a kiss, you give it to me. Understand?"

" Let go of me." Salem snapped. This, she could fight and she knew it. For the day and the night, she was spoken for and per Joe's rule, none of them could touch her when she was to be Daryl's. When it was a certain man's day or night, none of them were allowed to hurt or touch her so with this, she could fight Len and Joe won't punish her. He encouraged it. He wanted her to fight off their attention when she was spoken for. " You heard Joe. You're not allowed to touch me today or tonight."

" You think I give two shits about that asshole! You ain't earned his right to have you!" Len snapped.

" That's not what Joe said." Salem snapped back. Len yanked on her hair again, hard enough to make her cry out and close her eyes.

" I'll remember your smart mouth when I have you next." Len laughed and thrust his hips into her ass. "Oh yeah, I'll remember that." To her shock, he licked up the side of her face. Salem cringed and tried hard not to gag. " You better hope your new man doesn't have an accident today. Be a shame, won't it." Len laughed again but he let go of her hair and pulled away from her.

Salem stayed just where she was, refusing to let him see her wipe his spit again. She waited until his laughter left the kitchen. She opened her eyes, checked over her shoulder then grabbed one of the towels. She wet it quickly in the sink and started to scrub her cheek as quickly as she could. She throw the towel into the sink then almost ran from the room.

" Daryl!" She yelled out as the group of men started to gather at the door to the outside. He turned and looked at her, holding onto the strap of his cross bow as it laid across his chest. Len grinned at her but she won't look away from the new hunter. She swallowed hard and exhaled a shaky breath. " I want to...kiss you goodbye again." She lied. Joe smiled like an approving father. He patted Daryl's shoulder.

" Go and collect your prize. We'll wait." He said. Daryl glanced at him then back at Salem but he didn't move until Joe gave him a friendly, small shove. " Go on."

Daryl's steps were slow as he frowned at her. Salem felt her nerves spike as she pressed her hands into her stomach, trying to calm the organ as it flipped around inside her. He reached her in no time, his long legs having ate up the distance between them. He stood directly in front of her, blocking the others from her view. She pressed herself forward. She placed her hands on his shoulders and stepped up. She brought her lips close to his but didn't kiss him.

" Be careful." She whispered so softly, he almost didn't hear her. " Len is going to try and kill you." Daryl felt ice go through his veins. She dropped her hands from him and stepped back. She nodded to him. " Have a good day." She said loudly.


	4. Chapter 4

*** Please Review!***

Joe drove an old truck from the warehouse with most of the gang riding in the bed of the truck. No one spoke. Some of the men were looking around at the scene as it passed them. Some were readying their guns. Daryl was loading his cross bow and checking his strings while secretly stealing looks at Len, who was glaring at him.

Once Joe found an area to park, the gang unloaded and started to walk. Daryl kept his crossbow out and ready as he walked behind the rest of the men while they headed towards an old neighborhood. He let his bright blue eyes watch the area around them for walkers and Len, to make sure Daryl knew where the man as. Salem's warning ringing clear in his mind. Len was going to try and kill him. Daryl didn't doubt that. They had had issues since Daryl joined the men and now, throw a woman into the mix...

" Alright, boys," Joe drew up short and turned around to face the group. " We are going back to that house. We need to see if the killer left anything that will help us find him. We also need to look for blankets, clothes, socks, shoes and canned goods or any food we can use. We will load the truck up then drive it back to the warehouse. After that, we will hit the woods for hunting. Keep your eyes open and your senses alert. Find your search buddy. Daryl, you're with me." Daryl frowned but nodded.

The gang entered a house that had clearly seen a fight not long ago. There was fresh walker blood on the floor and from the smell of rot, Daryl was guessing the walker was still inside and that this was the house where their member had meant his end, twice. Joe patted Daryl's shoulder and pointed to the stairs while the others fanned out through the house. Joe took the lead up the stairs with Daryl following behind him. They stayed quiet until they reached the top stair.

" We will look over the bedrooms up here, see if we find anything before we look for supplies. You look for you and you only. You know what you need more than any of us. I will be looking for me and Salem. Girl has needs." Joe said with a smile.

While Joe went through one of the drawers in a bedroom, Daryl crouched down to check under the bed. To his shock and surprise, a small glint of medal greeted his eyes. He glanced over at Joe and saw the leader's back was to him still. Daryl looked back at the medal before he reached out and grabbed it. He pulled his arm back and stared at the Sheriff badge with a cold dread forming in his stomach. He'd know that badge anywhere. It was Rick's. He carried that badge everywhere. That meant two things to Daryl. One, Rick was alive and at one point, anyway. Two, they were hunting him.

" What's you got there, Daryl?" Joe asked. Daryl came up on his knees and placed a hand on his hip as he stared at the badge. Joe walked over to him, sitting on the bed when he reached the hunter. " A badge? Looks like we are looking for a good old boy."

" Could belong to whoever lived in the house." Daryl offered in his quiet, rough voice.

" Could be but I doubt that. Tony said he saw the man hiding under the bed." Joe said. He clapped his hands on his thighs and nodded to himself. " You done good, Daryl, finding that. Done real good. Let's take our loot and see what the others have found, if anything." Joe smiled and let his hand come to rest on Daryl's shoulder before he used Daryl to push himself off the bed and walk out of the room. Daryl looked back down at the proof that his 'brother' was still alive and had been here. With a frown, Daryl stood up, tucking the badge into his back pocket.

After the truck was loaded with their loot and the men were settled in the back, Joe quickly drove them out of the area and back to the warehouse. Everything would stay in the truck while the boys hunted. After they were done getting dinner, everyone would help unload it. Nothing would be split up as everyone had their claim on what they found. That wasn't a surprise to Daryl. They were out for themselves instead of the group, at least with supplies.

Daryl kept himself as quiet as he could be while they spread out through the woods to hunt for food. Daryl listened for animals, walkers and Len. Again, Salem's warning went through his mind. Now, more than ever, Daryl needed to watch his ass. They were looking for Rick and Daryl would be damned if he let them hurt a member of his group. Daryl knew he would stay with the gang until he figured out a way to get himself and Salem out safely and now he needed to stay to figure out how to find Rick. The heaviness of everything was settling on him. How was he going to handle this? How was he going to keep all three of them safe? Before, Daryl would have worried only about himself but now, now he was a different man.

A little while later, the gang meant up in the area they had picked to converge on. Every man had a dead animal or two in his hand but Len. That didn't surprise Daryl at all. He doubted the man had even tried to find food for them. Daryl shifted his hold of both of his rabbits to his other hand as Joe took stock of what they all had.

" Claimed. Now give me those rabbits." Len said, pointing to Daryl's kill. Daryl frowned and took a step back.

" These my kills." He snapped as everyone grew quiet.

" Not now, give them up." Len said.

" Find your own." Daryl grumbled.

" I did and I just claimed them. Now give him here!" Len ordered.

" Fuck you." Daryl replied. One of Len's hands went to the hilt of his knife as the two men glared at each other.

" I claimed them. It's how it works here. Tell him, Joe, tell him how it is." Len said. Joe sighed and placed his hands on his hips.

" Usually, Daryl, if a man lays claim on something, he gets to keep it. Don't matter who found it first or who killed it. Who ever claims it, keeps it." Joe said. Daryl swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting the salt of his sweat there. " But in this case, with Daryl being so new, we will let this slide."

" That ain't fucking fair!" Len exploded. " I claimed that shit fair and square!"

" You want it so bad, come and fuckin take them!" Daryl snapped. Len yanked his knife out and tensed up.

" Gladly, Bitch." He snarled out. Grins and chuckles went around the group, the men more than ready to watch the fight go down.

" That's enough." Joe said, making some of them groan. " Put your knife back, Len. Daryl is keeping his kills."

" But..." Len started.

" I said enough!" Joe actually yelled. " Daryl keeps his kills and that's the end of it!" Daryl and Len continued to stare at each other, ready to rip into one another when Joe stepped between them, making sure he was facing Len. " Put that knife away and because you couldn't be bothered to get your own animals, you don't need to eat tonight."

" What the hell!" Len exploded.

" You heard me." Joe sighed and nodded to himself before he made a show of wiping off his sleeves. "Now, you made me raise my voice and I really hate doing that. Let's get back to the warehouse and unload. I'm sure Salem is worried about us. Let's go."

After dropping off the animals to the kitchen and started to unload the truck, a idea begin to form. Joe let them keep what they claimed. Joe told Daryl that after today, the claim rule would apply to him as well as the others. If Daryl wanted to claim something, he could as long as no one else claimed it. Once Daryl claimed whatever it was his, none of the others could take it or touch it.

Joe showed Daryl where he kept all the food they found. Joe kept a tight count on the food and only allowed them to have so much a day, as to not run out, Joe explained. At first, Daryl thought that was why Salem was so thin. Joe didn't let them all eat much but at dinner, he threw that idea out of the window. The men had plenty of food but when Joe made Salem's plate, there was barely anything on it. Daryl knew then it was because Joe was using food as a way of controlling her as well as the chain. He gave her enough to keep her going but not enough to give her much strength to fight them.

That night, after Joe locked her up in Daryl's room, they worked together to move the dresser over to cover the door. Salem sat on the bed, looking like she was dead tired and well worn. Daryl frowned and opened one of the pockets of his cargo pants. He reached into it and pulled out a small bottle. He whistled to get her attention and when she looked at him, he tossed her the bottle.

" What is it?" Salem asked with her own frown. She turned the bottle over and quickly read the label.

Flint stone, chew-able vitamins.

" Vitamens. You need to take them and build your body up. You barely got any pick up and go." Daryl made sure to keep his voice down, just in case anyone was listening to them.

" Joe will be pissed." Salem said, unscrewing the cap of the bottle. She shook her head, looking up at him while piling out grass from the bottle. " W hat the hell?"

" I put the grass in there to muffle the sound of the pills. I didn't want him to hear them in my pocket. We gonna keep this between us." Daryl said. Salem looked back into the bottle, seeing the colorful pills through the grass. She pulled out one, looked it over carefully and when she was sure it was a flint stone vitamins, she popped it in her mouth. Slowly she chewed it while she read over the label. Second later, she was tossing back two more pills, looking up at Daryl as she hurried up and chewed them.

" It says adults should take two. I took third to make up for what I have lost." She explained. Daryl nodded, reaching into his other pocket. He pulled out a small crispy, red apple. He tossed it to her, seeing her eyes light up. He reached in again and pulled out another one. " Where did you get these?" Salem asked, bring both apples to her small nose to smell them deeply.

" We passed an apple tree. Picked ones that were good but I shoved those two in my pocket for you." He said. Salem frowned and narrowed her eyes at him.

" Why?" She asked.

" Why what?" Daryl asked, sitting down in the chair in the room.

" Why did you give me those vitamins and save these apples for me? What do you want in return?" Salem snapped. Daryl leaned forward, letting his elbows come to rest against his thighs.

" You need to build up your strength if you gonna make it out there." He said. She shook her head as she rolled her eyes.

" Oh yeah? Just how are you going to get me out there? I'm not allowed outside." She said. She brought the apple up to her mouth, suddenly starving. The moment Salem sank her teeth into the skin of the apple, her eyes shut on their own. Sweetness exploded against her tongue and she heard herself moan. She cupped the apple with both hands, forgetting all about the hunter who was staring at her. "Oh my God..." She chewed as fast as she could before she took another bite, and another and another. Daryl's eyes twitched before he started to smile then chuckle. The sound froze Salem's moments. Her eyes flew open at once. She felt her cheeks heat. One hand swept across her lips while her other one kept a grip on the apple. " Sorry." She said softly between bites.

" I ain't figured out a way to get us out yet but I will. We ain't staying here. It ain't safe." Daryl said. Salem swallowed her treat as she regarded him carefully.

" What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?" She asked.

" I ain't rapin you. I didn't rape you." He answered simply. Salem blinked hard before she dropped her eyes and pulled her legs up to her chest while she sat on the bed. " Eat those apples. I'll sneak you the vitamins. You build up your strength while I work on getting us free."

" Where will we go?" She asked when she looked at him again.

" I don't know yet. I saw a few signs for a town. Maybe there." Daryl answered.

" Anywhere is better than here." She said even softer than she was talking.

She ate both the apples before handing the cores back to Daryl. He pocketed them and the bottle then went to his bed on the floor. Like the night before, he slept in the corner and she took the bed.

TWDTWDTWD

In the morning, Daryl followed Joe and Salem to the bathroom again. Joe was his usually, chipper self, talking like it was a very normal to walk with a girl on a chain. Daryl didn't say much, only answering when he had too. When they reached the bathroom, Salem went in first then waited. Her eyes were hopeful that Daryl would follow her in and not Joe. It was a wasted hope. Joe didn't give Daryl time to come in. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Seconds later, Daryl heard the lock click.

He didn't see them again until breakfast. Joe was sitting at the end of the table with his smile. The others were talking around the table, planning their day. Salem shuffled into the kitchen with two plates. There was bruising around her neck in the shape of a hand. Her cheek was sporting a new bruise as well and she refused to meet Daryl's eyes. He stared openly at her, feeling the heat of his anger raising up slowly.

" Well boys, Salem is free to all tonight so that means you want her, you better prove yourself today. I will be watching everything you do. You want her? Bring us the most food or supplies, kill the most dead." Joe explained. Grins spread through the men as they muttered that they would earn her over the others. Salem briefly closed her eyes. It was then that Daryl made a choice. A split second decision that sealed his fate to hers...

" Claimed." Daryl blurted out, silencing them all. Daryl refused to look at anyone but Joe as he cleared his throat and said loudly, " Claimed. I claim her."


	5. Chapter 5

*** Please review!***

Everyone stared at Daryl like he had grown a second head, even Salem was staring at him. Joe shifted in his seat so his right arm was resting on the table. He draped his other arm over the back of his chair then brought his left leg up to his ankle was resting on top of his thigh. He smiled in a way that made Daryl's eyes twitch but he refused to looked away. He refused to show any sign of weakness.

" What was that, Daryl?" He asked. Daryl wanted to spare a glance around the room, wanted to look at the girl but didn't dare take his eyes off of Joe's face. It was important to hold Joe's eyes. It was important for Daryl to look confident if he was going to pull this off. Just what THIS was, though, Daryl wasn't sure.

" I claim the girl." He said, his voice strong, clear and steady.

At once, the other men exploded. Len jumped up, sending his chair crashing to the floor. Tony slammed both fists down on the table with his face red. Dan was yelling at Joe, Harley was gripping his gun but hadn't pulled it yet and Billy was screaming at Daryl but hadn't stood up just yet. All of them yelling and cursing, calling Daryl every name in the book and screaming that he wasn't allowed to have her.

And still, Joe was just sitting there, smiling at Daryl. Daryl felt his body tense. Salem had shrunk back so her back was against the wall. She was bracing herself for any and everything. She was ready to fight for her life if any of the men decided to grab at her. After a few tense, loud minutes, Joe finally spoke. He picked up his glass cup and hurled it to the ground, getting everyone's attention at once. Still, he smiled and there was no anger on his face.

" Quiet down now." He ordered.

" Quiet down now?! He can't do that!" Joe yelled even though he was righting his chair and sitting down.

" Seems as though Daryl has outsmarted us, my boys." Joe said. His body settled into a calmness Daryl knew he wasn't feeling, couldn't be feeling. His face smiled but his eyes were swirling with a dangerous darkness.

" He ain't done shit!" Tony yelled. Joe held up both hands to quiet them again.

" Well now, he did and it's no one's fault but our own. We told him about the claiming rule. He is just following our group's rule. None of us were smart enough to lay a claim on Salem but Daryl did and we will respect that." He said, sending the boys into another round of explosions that lasted until Joe clapped his hands together. " I SAID..." He almost yelled to get their attention. " we will respect the claim."

But Daryl didn't trust the statement for one minute. Starting at that moment, his life was on the line and he knew it. He had to get them out of there or he was dead and she was likely going to be horriblity attacked. Daryl knew she'd live because they won't kill the only female they had. They won't kill the only pussy they had but they would hurt her and hurt her bad.

Through breakfast, Daryl saw the looks every one of the men were throwing his way. They were sneering and making snide comments but Daryl didn't care about them. All he cared about was the smiling leader sitting across the table at him. Daryl could take Len on, Harley, Billy, the others. They were angry, yes, but they had little to no control over themselves and they would make mistakes in a fight. Mistakes Daryl could turn around and use to kill them if he had too but Joe was different. Daryl could almost see him forming a plan, a plan that could end up with Daryl dead in a very painful way. But what Joe didn't know was that Daryl wasn't scared of pain and he'd do anything to survive, had done anything to survive in the past.

After breakfast, Daryl ducked into the kitchen where Salem was. She whipped around, on the defense and tense. Her shoulders sagged down when she saw the hunter. She sighed and sank back, her hands holding onto the sink against her back. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Daryl grabbed the straps of his cross bow as he frowned at her.

" Are you fucking crazy or just trying to get killed?" Salem hissed when she opened her eyes again.

" They ain't gonna kill me." Daryl whispered.

" What were you thinking?!" She asked. Daryl dropped his hand into his pocket then pulled out another pill bottle. " What is that?" She asked, spying it with a small frown.

" Sleepin pills. Grind some into a powder and put it into their food. When they pass out tonight, I'll steal the key from Joe and we are gettin the fuck out of here." He said, holding the bottle out to her. Salem swallowed by took the pills.

" You are taking me with you?" She asked. She carefully wrapped her hand around the bottle, yanking her arm back when her finger tips brushed his warm hand. She looked down at the bottle, quickly reading the label.

" Shouldn't take but half an hour 'fore they pass out." Daryl said. Salem held the pills to her chest and peered up at him.

" Why are you taking me?" Salem asked.

" You wanna stay with them? You like bein here?" Daryl snapped quietly.

" What kind of question is that?" Salem snapped back.

" Daryl!" They heard Joe yell. Salem shoved the bottle into one of the pockets of her skirt with her eyes wide.

" I'll put the pills in their food but you have to go." She reached out and grabbed Daryl's arm, surprising him. He let her turn him and start to push him towards the door of the kitchen. " Watch your ass because if you don't, they will kill you and then take shit out on me." That much Daryl knew. He knew they would try anyway.

TWDTWDTWD

Daryl kept his distance as much as he could from the group members. The times he couldn't, he endured the shoulders bumps, the shoves and snide comments. He was on his guard, knowing that at any moment Joe could snap his fingers and they would attack. What he didn't know was why Joe wasn't allowing them to come for Daryl. They were angry and primed for the fight but it wasn't happening and that was making Daryl sick to his stomach and more alert. He wondered if they were waiting for the night. Would they try and attack him at night, in front of Salem, maybe try and make an example out of him for her. Letting her know that she would never leave them?

At dinner, Daryl was careful when he cast Salem a glance. She had made soup from a can so he was hoping it hadn't been hard for her to mix the pills in. He was hoping she had done it because if not, Daryl was now sure Joe would try to take his life that night. Salem set a bowl down in front of Joe and Len. She disappeared back into the kitchen and came out with two more bowls for Harley and Tony. Back into the kitchen she went after setting those down and back out for the bowls for Dan and Billy, never once looking at Daryl. That is, until she brought out his bowl. She set his bowl down in front of him and winked at him, telling Daryl she had done the deed.

After dinner, Joe grinned at Daryl. He took the key out of his pocket but didn't hand it over to Daryl. He unlocked Salem's chain and walked the couple back to Daryl's room, not saying a wood. He walked her into the room, locked her up then smiled again at Daryl. He tucked the key back into his front, left pocket before he nodded.

" Well Daryl, I think for her safety, I'm going to hold onto this key. What happens if she steals it from you while you sleep? We can't have that happening so I'll hold onto it. You two have a good night now." Joe patted Daryl's shoulder then walked out, closing the door behind him.

" He is pissed." Salem said softly as Daryl walked over to the dresser.

" Figured as much." He said, putting his shoulder to the piece of furniture they used at night to guard their door.

" I did what you told me to do. I crushed them into a power and stirred it into their soup." Salem explained, sitting on the bed.

" Good. We'll wait a bit then I'll check them. If they sleepin, I'll get the key and unlock you. We'll take the truck and leave." Daryl said after he was sure the dresser was blocking the door.

" Where will we go?" Salem asked. Daryl stood up straight and shook his head.

" I don't know but anywhere is better than here." He said. Salem sighed and nodded.

" You're right. Do you think we will be able pack some clothes or food?" She asked.

" Don't need to chance it. We'll find shit out there. We don't need to be wastin time here." Daryl said, making her nod again.

Salem sat back on the bed, putting her back to the wall. She pushed her bottom lip in between her teeth and started to chew at it while she stared at the floor. Daryl stayed by the door and let her think quietly. He needed to think too. He needed to find Rick before Joe did, if he could at all. He needed to find him and Salem a safe place to hide, which he didn't think would be hard. He knew the areas the gang looted in so he planned to take them in the opposite direction.

Daryl's eyes went down to her shoes as she brought her legs up on the bed to wrap her arms around them. He zoned in on her shoes, the flats she was wearing then the skirt. After he got them out of there, he was going to get her some decent clothes. She wasn't going to be able to run far in those shoes and she needed jeans or pants to protect her legs but he wasn't willing to wait out the time it would take to pack a bag from the warehouse.

The couple fell into silence, both lost in their own worlds. Daryl was nervous. This had to work. He was sure it would, he had to be, that didn't mean his old self doubts weren't returning. Merle had always told Daryl that he wasn't smart and couldn't do anything without his older brother but Daryl had proved him wrong. Over and over again. He had lived, survived, kept others alive, by himself, without his brother and he could do it again. He could get them both out of here, alive.

After some time, Daryl decided he had waited long enough. It was time to act. If he found any of them awake, Daryl was ready to do what he had to do and if that meant he was going to have to kill them, he would. He pushed the dresser to the side, freeing the door. He looked back at Salem and for a few minutes, they just stared at each other until she cleared her throat.

" Be careful." She whispered, sitting on her knees. Daryl nodded. He turned, opened the door and snuck out.

The warehouse was completely quiet. Daryl aimed his cross bow then started to creep down the hallway. He tried to doorknob to the first bedroom he had come too, only to find it locked. He listened into at the door but heard nothing. The second bedroom was the same. Through the third doorway, he could hearing snoring.

Daryl made his way through the darken warehouse until he came to living area. Joe was stretched out on the couch, a hand on his chest and another one behind his head. Daryl took his steps, one at a time, eyes locked on the leader. Just because he looked like he was sleeping didn't mean he was. Daryl aimed at Joe, ready to fire a bolt away if the other man moved.

There was nothing.

As Daryl reached the couch, his heart flew into his throat as it beat frantically and hard. Sweat broke out down the center of his back and across his brow. Every cell in his body was on fire and screaming. His mind was swirling around, telling him this was a trick. He held his breath to try and listen to any movement or sound but there was nothing.

Daryl crouched down and set his bow on the floor beside his legs. He unstrapped his knife and placed it in his left hand, just in case. His eyes narrowed as he reached out. He noticed his hand shaking so he closed it and mentally yelled at himself to toughen up. Across Joe's body he reached. He stared at the other man's face, expecting movement at any moment.

With Daryl still holding his breath, he carefully slipped his fingers into the left pocket of Joe's pants. Thankfully and quickly, he found the key. Daryl worked it out of the pocket as slowly as he could...up...up...up it moved through the denim until Daryl was able to free it. He yanked his hand back and finally let himself exhale. He grabbed his cross bow and pushed himself up.

Salem was pacing the best she could in her brother's old small room. She was twisting her fingers together, feeling like she was going to throw up. Where was Daryl? Was he alright? Was he dead? Would Joe kill him and then kill her? Would he allow the others to take their turn with her all night as a punishment for what Daryl had done?

Because he would know that Salem was the one who drugged them. He had already punished her that morning by choking her and for what? Letting Daryl help her with the shower the day before. Joe had been angry with her for not asking for him and telling Daryl no, as if she had ever asked for him. Joe hadn't yelled at her. No. Joe never yelled. Instead, he had grabbed her by her arms, yanked her off the tub and slammed her into the door before wrapping his hand around her throat.

He had slapped her and choked her for a few tense seconds while she pushed and clawed at his arms. When he had finally let her go, he had smiled that horrible smile of his. He had ran his hands down the sides of her face, tucked her hair behind her ears and asked her why she had made him hurt her that way. When she didn't answer him, Joe had smacked her again, over and over again until she cried out that she was sorry she hadn't asked for him. And she hated herself for that. Hated that she had given in to him.

The door opened suddenly, making Salem jump. Daryl rushed in and over to her, key in his hand. A hot rush of tears spring her eyes. This was it. Finally, she was free. Finally she won't have to worry about being raped or beat anymore. Finally, she won't have to pretend she was a different person as someone thrust over her. Finally, she won't wake in the morning with a soreness between her legs. Finally, she would be safe, she thought as Daryl dropped to his knees by her legs. Salem covered her face and allowed herself a moment. She blinked, sending the wetness that had gathered in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks.

Daryl unlocked her ankle before he tossed the chain away from her. He rose up, slightly stunned to see her crying. She smiled brightly, despite the tears, and grabbed him by his shoulders. She yanked him down and hugged him tightly. One of her hands went into his hair as she turned her face towards his neck. Her tears were starting to wet his skin.

" Thank you, Daryl." She whispered. " Thank you." She pulled away enough to look at his face. She stepped up on her tips and gently kissed his cheek.

" We have to go." Daryl said softly. Salem brushed her tears away with the back of her hands and nodded.

" I'm so ready." She said. Daryl handed over her knife as he stared at her. Salem glanced it then back at his face. She nodded to him and wrapped her small hand around the hilt. She brought it into her chest. Her other hand came up to join it's partner. Determination leaked into her eyes, lightening them and chasing the dullness away that he had seen before. Green eyes sparkled up at him as hardness erected over her features. " Let get the fuck out of here." Daryl couldn't have said it better himself.

With Salem at his back, the couple crept quietly through the warehouse. The air around them was still. There was no sound in the area. Daryl's skin was prickling with awareness. HIs biceps tighten on their own, ready to fight anyone and everyone. He knew that if someone were awake and found them now, they would have to fight and fight he would. Daryl didn't know if Salem could fight but something in her face told him that she would do whatever she could now to not be chained up again.

The girl and the hunter made it to the front door of the warehouse with no one stirring. Daryl snatched the keys from where they were hanging on a hook on the wall. He grabbed the door knob to their freedom and spared a look over his shoulder. Salem looked up at him and nodded again. Daryl swept his eyes over her head and when he was sure no one was following them, he opened the door and out they stole away.

The two ran for the truck at once. Daryl ran around the front while she yanked open the passenger door. She was already inside the truck with her door shut and locked by the time Daryl slipped inside. He started up the old truck and off they went. Salem turned in her seat, still clutching his knife to her chest, and watched at her once peaceful home turned nightmare disappeared into the night.

Daryl glanced over at her as she quickly started to roll down her window. She sat up on her knees, set his knife on the seat then placed her hands on the window sill. She stuck her head partially out of the window and closed her eyes. Some of the wind whipping by the truck picked up strands of her hair, lifting it up off her shoulders and sending it behind her back. Daryl heard her inhale loudly.

" The air smells so good." She said.

Salem opened her eyes and smiled in the darkness. She sat back, shifting her legs back down so she was sitting on her ass again. She thrust one arm out of the window and started to giggle at the feel of the wind slicing over her skin. How long had it been since she had been outside? How long had it been since she had been able to breath in fresh air? How long had it been since she had been felt that same fresh air against her skin? Salem didn't even know. She had no idea how long she had been stuck inside her hell hole. She opened her eyes and looked over a her savior.

" You saved me, Daryl." She said. Daryl looked at her for a minute before he looked into his rear view mirror than back at the road in front of them.

" We have to get as much road as we can between them and us. We'll drive for a bit before we stop and find shelter." He said quietly. Salem smiled again, sensing he was uncomfortable with her words. She turned her head so she could look out the window again.

Daryl drove for a while, taking this turn and that even though he had no idea where they were or where they were going. He didn't really care either. He just needed to get them away for the night. He needed to find them shelter, not only from the gang but from any walkers that might be lurking around in the darkness. Both were dangers that could sneak up on them and kill them. He needed to find them shelter because sleeping in the truck was not a safe option for them.

To Daryl's surprise, a lone house and barn came into view. He turned the truck towards it, slowing the pace when he hit the dirt road serving as a driveway. A thought hit Daryl that made him frown. He didn't know if Salem had ever taken down a walker. He didn't know if she knew how to kill one or if she even could kill one. When was the last time she had seen one, if at all?

" You ever seen a walker?" He asked quietly, rolling down his own window so he could try and hear any of the moans and groans that came with the dead.

" Yes." She answered.

" You ever took one down?" Daryl asked. He took in their surroundings as he slowed the truck even more.

" No but I have seen it done before. Joe said you have to hit them in the head." Salem said.

" It's the only way. You hit them anywhere else, they'll keep comin." He said. " We gonna hide the truck in the barn after we make sure there ain't no walkers inside. We'll stay in there for the night." Salem nodded. To Daryl's surprise she didn't asked him anything. She didn't ask him what they would do next, where they would go. She just accepted whatever he was saying.

Daryl parked the truck behind the barn before he shut it off. Together, they listened to the night. Daryl searched the area with his eyes and when he didn't hear anything or see any movement, he opened the door to the truck. Salem followed his example. As quietly as they could, they shut the doors. Daryl silently walked around the bed of the truck to join her side. He shot her a look and after she nodded again with a firm look on her face, he started towards the wide door of the barn.

" Wait." Salem said, making he look back at her. " I'll open the door. You can't open it and kill the dead if there are any in there and we both know you are going to be better at taking them down than I am."

Daryl nodded, seeing the truth in her words. She swallowed, visibly nervous. She hurried forward before she lost her nerve. Salem closed her eyes, inhaled to gather her nerves then opened them again. She grabbed the large handle of the door. Slowly, she opened it, keeping herself behind her. Daryl lifted his cross bow and aimed, ready to take out anything that came at them. When there was no movement, he gave her a curt nod and started forward.

The inside of the barn was almost completely empty. There was no farming machines, hardly any hay or straw or anything. It was a wide open, thankfully, empty space. Daryl used the flashlight he always kept on him to check all the spaces. When he was sure they were alone, he walked back out. He opened the other door then they both went back into the truck. He pulled the truck into the barn, then locked them inside.

" You sleep inside the truck. Be warmer than out here." Daryl told her.

" Where will you be?" Salem asked from where she stood across from him with the hood of the truck between them.

" The bed of the truck. I'm a light sleeper and I don't need much to keep goin. I need to listen to make sure we ain't snuck up on." Daryl said. Salem looked unsure as she placed her hands on the hood, his knife still in her left hand.

" Are you going to leave me?" Salem asked. Daryl frowned and shook his head.

" I ain't got nowhere to go." Daryl said. And he didn't want to be alone but she didn't need to know that.

" Promise me, Daryl." Salem said quickly. " Promise me you won't leave me here." Daryl stared hard at her. She was scared. She wasn't scared of Joe and his gang. She hadn't been scared to run off into the dark when the dead were around. She wasn't scared of Daryl but she was scared of being alone and that, Daryl understood.

" I ain't leavin." Daryl said quietly. Salem nodded and offered up a small smile before she pulled away to climb back into the truck.


	6. Chapter 6

*** Please Review!***

Salem opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times to clear her sleep away. She smiled and sat up slowly. She was free. Yeah, she had spent the night in a truck but she had been left alone in her sleep. No one had laid over her, sweating and thrusting. No one had forced her to do things she didn't want too. No one had hit her, abused her, threaten her. She had been allowed to sleep peacefully. Even though she had spent two nights in a row with Daryl and he hadn't touched her, she hadn't been as relaxed as she had last night. Salem turned in the seat to look for her savior, the man who had taken her out of the horrible situtation she had been in. Shock rolled through her and panic wiped the smile off her face. Daryl was gone. The bed of the truck was empty. Salem turned again, yanked open the passenger door and climbed out of the truck.

" Daryl!" She cried out without thinking. She ran to the middle of the barn, hoping to find him somewhere in the barn. " Daryl!" She cried again. "Daryl!"

What could have happen to him? Had he changed his mind and decided that having her tag along wasn't worth it? Had he decided that having a woman who had been locked up in a warehouse be more harmful then helpful. Or had Joe found them? She called out for Daryl again, louder that time at that thought. Had Joe found them and killed the hunter? Was he laying in wait for her? Panic seized Salem, making it hard to breath and her stomach ache. Her heart was slamming in her chest and her voice was wavering in the panic as she yelled out for him.

Salem spun around at the sound of the door opening. She clapped her hands over her mouth, regretting that she had been yelling. If Joe had found them, there was nothing like letting him know she was awake. Why had she been so stupid and let the fear of losing Daryl take her over?! Why had she been screaming out like an idiot instead of hiding and waiting to see if anyone came for her!

But it wasn't Joe who came through the doorway. It wasn't any members of his gang. It was Daryl. He had a few dead animals in one hand and a wild look in his eyes and on his face. His face was red and he was panting like he had just been sprinting. His hair was plastered to his head with sweat and his knife was in his hand like he was ready to stike out at anything he found when he came through the door.

And maybe he had been running. Mabye he had been ready to slash away with his knife. Maybe he had heard her yelling and came running to check on her. Salem didn't give him a chance to ask why she had been yelling and she didn't give herself a chance to ask where he had been. At the sight of him, Salem took off running. She reached him in seconds and flung herself at him. Her arms went around his body, around his waist. Her head came to his chest and despite everything, she started to cry.

Daryl didn't move to put his arms around her. He didn't move to comfort her. He didn't take advantage of the fact that she was holding onto him tight and at how upset she was. In fact, Salem felt his body tense the second she touched him but she hadn't care. He hadn't left her. She wasn't alone. He was alive and not dead by Joe's or any of the other guys' hand and for that she was grateful.

Daryl stared down at the top of her dark head as she sobbed quietly. He was no good with emotions, his or someone else's. He didn't know what he should do or say to her. She was holding on to him as tightly as she could while he held the squirrels he had caught for their breakfast. His other arm stayed at his side, his hand clutching the knife he had been so ready to use. He frowned slightly but it faded as he thought what his reaction to finding Carol, Rick or the others would be. Daryl closed his eyes as the pain of their lose went through him. He would be the same way Salem was being right then and he knew it. If he ever saw Carol again...Rick...

Salem pulled away at that moment and looked up at him. She wiped at her cheeks and smiled shyly while her cheeks flushed a pretty red color. She stepped a few paces back away from him while she drew in a deep breath. Daryl watched her as she gathered her thoughts openly. She sniffed then rubbed her lips together, swallowing and giving herself a shake.

" I'm sorry. I just thought something had happen to you or you had left me. I was shocked and so glad to see you." She said. Daryl's eyes shifted away from her for a second because she was looking at him like he was made out of gold and that made Daryl uncomfortable. He frowned again before looking back at her.

" Just went out to get breakfast. I'm gonna cook these squirrels then we can head up to the house." Daryl said before he started walking towards the other side of the barn were there was another door. Salem turned and followed after him. It was then that she noticed a pile of wood he must have gathered while she had been sleeping. There was also a grate, a pan and a bowl he must have taken from the house.

" Is the house safe to go into?" She asked as Daryl opened the door by the wood pile. As he was sure the barn would be vented well, Daryl dropped his kills before he crouched down and nodded.

" Yeah. I checked it out. It's empty. Need to find you some clothes and different shoes."

" And then what? Where are we going?" Salem sat down at his side and watched as he began to cut away the meat he could cook and they could eat. She watched how fast his hands worked the knife, slicing through the dead animal's fur and flesh. There was blood spots on his tan skin from when he had gutted the animals before bring them into the barn.

" Around. I was with a group 'fore Joe found me but I lost them. I think some of them are in the area still. I need to find them then we'll figure the other shit out." Daryl said. Salem nodded quietly while continuing to watch him. Daryl spared her a side wards glance, surprised that she was watching him so intently.

Quietly, she gathered the meat he had cut free and placed in the bowl. She placed the grate over the fire after he started it and dumped the meat into the pan he had brought. Still, they didn't talk as she cooked the food and Daryl sat on his ass. He watched her stiring the meat around to make sure it was cooked on all sides. He could see how she was completely different now that she was away from Joe and the others.

The tension that had been all through her body was gone. She looked comfortable, happy and relaxed. She was smiling at the pan as she stirred the contents around. Smiling, like she hadn't slept in a truck, hidden in a barn. Smiling like the world was hers and didn't belong to dead. She looked comfortable cooking squirrel meat over an open fire, with the smoke swirling up and out the open door.

To anyone else, it would seem strange. People weren't happy now a days. They weren't comfortable anymore. Everyone was on edge, at all times. There were dangers out there, besides just the walkers but Daryl understand her and why she was the way she was. She was free from the abuse she had been enduring for months. She was free for the first time in a long time. She had been able to sleep through the night and not worry about being attacked or raped so yeah, Daryl understood her and didn't think it was strange at all. She was free and to her, the living men were more monsters then the dead men.

After they ate, they walked side by side to the house. Daryl walked in first, carefully looking around and listening to make sure they were alone still. He sent her upstairs, stating he would watch the outside area to make sure no one, living or dead, snuck up on them. She was going to look for clothes she could bring with them. Daryl had found a few backpacks and suitcases for they were going to use. The backpacks were going to be filled with the canned food there, inside the house, and the suitcases for clothes.

Salem exhaled hard as she walked up the stairs. Humid, stale air was all around her, sticking to the skin on her arms and making it hard to breath, even though Daryl had opened the windows when he had come in earlier. She felt gross and sweating and longed for a shower. Her shirt stuck to her back from her sweat and her hair was clinging to her skin.

Salem went into the biggest bedroom she found. She went to the closet, quickly looking through the clothes there. She pulled out a few tank tops and tee shirts, skipping over the dresses and skirts. She never wanted to wear around skirt again, ever. She tossed the clothes on the bed then went through the shoes, quickly finding a pair of sneakers. Next, she moved to the dresser. She pulled out a few pairs of panties, socks, jeans and shorts.

Once back at the bed, Salem kicked off the flats. She yanked off her shirt and shimmed the skirt down her legs, with the panties next. She dressed in the new clothes, thankful to be out of the nightmare things Joe had brought for her. The pants she was wearing were a little big but that was solved quickly by a belt she found. The tank top fit her decently and the sneakers were only a half a size too big.

Salem shoved the things she found into the suitcases, gathered up her old clothes then turned. She noticed a mirror and her reflection for the first time since she had entered the room. Salem frowned as she walked over it. She touched her cheek, where there was a fading bruise, her neck and then her hair. She was a mess and she hated it. She used to do her hair, used to color it and liked wearing a small amount of make up. She used to be pretty, not beautiful she didn't think, but pretty and now...and now her neck was bruised from being strangled and her cheek had an ugly mark on it from taking Joe's slaps.

Salem left the bedroom and went into the small bathroom located across the hall. She went in and opened the medicine cabinet. She pulled out all the medicines and bandages she could, stuffing them into the suitcase as well. She paused when she noticed the mouthwash. After quickly checking the date, she uncapped it, took a swig and started to swish it around in her mouth. After spitting it out, she stashed the mouthwash and left the bathroom.

Daryl leaned against the door-frame, cross bow in hands as he looked out the door. They needed to move and he knew it. He also knew she needed to have decent clothes and shoes on, in case they needed to run, so he wasn't rushing her. He was going to keep the truck but was worried that once it ran out of gas, he won't be able to find anymore from abandoned cars. He was going to wait until Salem was ready then he would pull the truck up to the house and they would fill the back of it with pillows, blankets, clothes, whatever use-able supplies they could loot from the house.

After a little bit, Salem came down the stairs with the suitcases Daryl had sent her up with and her old clothes under her arm. She offered him a small smile. Daryl gave her a nod, taking in her change in appearance. She looked better then when he had first met her. She didn't look as tired, angry or scared. She had pulled her hair up and back so it was off her neck. It was amazing what one night away from her abusers was doing for her. And it was even more amazing to see what the change of clothing had also done for her.

" Stay here. I'm goin to get the truck. We'll load it up and end out." Daryl said. Salem nodded, setting the suitcases down.

" Before we leave, I want to burn this shit." She said. Daryl looked at where she motioned to the old clothes and nodded.

" Alright. I'll be back." He said, before leaving her inside the house.

After Daryl and Salem had loaded the truck with everything they thought they could use, the two of them went back to the barn. Daryl started the fire again then stepped back to give Salem her space. He leaned against the grill of the truck, crossing his arms over his chest and his legs at his ankles. He titled his head and watched as she first tossed down the skirt, then the shirt, then the flats. She stood with her back to him and her hands on her hips. This was something she needed to do and he understood it, again he understood her. She needed to burn the past and everything it was to her. He only hoped that she'd raise out of the ashes stronger and ready to take on whatever came their way because while Daryl understood her, almost felt a small connection to her because of the abuse, he didn't have the time to coddle her. He didn't have the time to sooth her feelings and emotions and he won't even know how too.

Salem watched as the fire ate holes through the fabric then started to melt the plastic on the shoes. She sighed deeply and placed her hands on her hips. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the sun, relishing in the feel of the warmth on her skin since she had gone months without it. A smile tugged at her lips as a small breeze went around her, licking at her bare arms, neck and face. Over. It was over now, finally. It was over and she could move on. Salem opened her eyes and turned back around to face her savior.

" I'm ready." She said.

" You sure?" Daryl asked. Salem smile was bright and her eyes started to sparkle as she lifted them to the blue sky.

" Is it strange that even though the world took a shit, I think the sky and the woods are beautiful?" She asked. Daryl glanced up then back at her again. He cleared his throat but didn't answer. He lifted a hand to his chin and rubbed at his goatee. " The air smells amazing. The sky is so clear. The birds sound beautiful. I never realized how much I love being outside before, not until my freedom to enjoy it had been taken away." Daryl watched as she drew in a long breath, her chest raising. Against his will, his eyes zoned in on the slight swell of her breasts. His tongue swiped out and over his bottom lip before he could stop it. Silently Daryl cursed himself out and dropped his eyes. She wasn't for him. She wasn't for anyone. Here, she had been abused, raped, slapped, made to do things she didn't want too and here Daryl was, looking at her chest. And that made him feel no better than Joe and his thugs.

" You ready now?" Daryl asked, forcing himself to look at her face. Salem looked at him and smiled again.

" Yeah. Let's hit the road." She said.

TWDTWDTWD

" Tell me about your group." Salem asked as she rode beside Daryl while he drove down an empty road.

Daryl shot her a look, surprised to seeing her smiling at him. He looked back to the road and shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He brought his left arm up to rest his elbow against the window frame. His fingers stretched out to begin tapping against the top of truck. He gripped the steering wheel with his right hand and shifted his entire body away from her.

" Ain't much to tell, I guess." Daryl muttered. " There was a couple of us, used to be more. We were livin in a prison, tryin to grow food and make a way of it."

" And what happen?" She asked, laying her back against the seat.

" Someone attacked us. We had to run. We were scattered." Daryl said.

" And you don't know if they are alive?" Salem asked.

" I didn't know but then I found sumthin that belonged to one of them. Rick. He's the one Joe's lookin for." Daryl said. Salem sat up and turned in her seat she was completely facing him. She pulled both her legs up so she was sitting indian style on the seat and leaning back against the door.

" If Joe or any of them find him, they will kill him, Daryl. We have to find this Rick first." She said. Again, Daryl looked at her quickly before looking back to the road. He nodded slowly, surprised that she was concerned for someone she didn't know.

" I know." Daryl said. " That's who we are lookin for." Salem made a noncommittal sound and looked out the windshield without turning away from him.

" Your group, this Rick, they are good people?" She asked quietly. Daryl frowned and squinted his eyes.

" Yeah." He said.

" Once we find them, are you leaving with them?" She asked.

Daryl looked at her, seeing her mouth tighten and her body start to tense again. He looked back the road and was ready to tell her she could come when something caught his eyes and caused him to slow the truck down. Just up ahead was an old, abandoned car, which wasn't unusual or a reason to be alarmed but the site behind it was. Even though it was in the middle of the morning and the sun was bright, Daryl could make up the tendrils of smoke. Salem must have seen it too but Daryl felt her turn in the seat she was facing the front of the truck again.

" What is that?" Salem asked.

" Looks like someone might be campin up ahead." Daryl said. He took a hold of the wheel with both hands and leaned forward. Salem slide across the truck so she was closer to him but that was something Daryl was forcing himself to ignore.

The truck was going slow but Daryl was ready to slam on the gas if need be. He wanted to see who was there, just in case, but he was ready to go if it wasn't what he was hoping for. They crept up to the car and started to pass it. Daryl and Salem looked at the fire pit with still light piece of woods but there were no people sitting around it. Daryl silently groaned and felt his disappointment spike...until someone burst out of the bushes. Someone small and wearing a old sheriff hat.

" Daryl!" The young guy, who was only a little boy when Daryl had met him, yelled. Daryl slammed on the brakes at the same time two more people slipped from the brush.


	7. Chapter 7

*** Please review! I'm sorry but my family has been under a lot lately. My 10 year old daughter's best friend, an 11 year old girl, became very sick two weeks ago and then passed away last week. I have been busy getting my daughter through the event and trying to help the family as well. I have never been to a child's funeral and I hope I never go through another one again.***

Daryl yanked the truck over to the side of the road. He threw it into park then jumped out of the truck, even though Salem was calling out to him. Daryl ran around the back of the truck and he and Rick hugged each other tightly when the hunter reached the former cop. Both men patted each other on the back, thankful to have found one another. Their arms were tight around one other as the non-blood related brothers hugged each other. When they pulled away, Daryl looked down at Carl and smiled before he flicked the bill of the hat, causing Carl to chuckle. He moved to Michonne who smiled and nodded her head.

" Come here." She said before she enveloped Daryl in a tight hug.

" Who do you have with you, Daryl?" Rick asked when Michonne and the hunter pulled apart. Daryl turned and looked towards the truck. Salem hadn't left it. In fact, she was sitting inside, facing the back of the truck, staring at them. Daryl put his hands on his hips and sighed.

" Give me a second." He said before he started back to the girl was was peering at them.

Daryl kept his eyes glued on Salem, watching as hers darted from Rick to Carl to Michonne then back to Rick. She was gripping the back of the seat and Daryl suddenly felt a mixture of protectiveness over her and protectiveness over his group. To invite her to join them meant he had to admit that he had lost Beth and hooked up with a gang of rapists. To not invite her meant she'd be on her own and left to survive in a world she wasn't used too. Neither were things Daryl wanted to face. Daryl didn't want to admit he had lost Beth, he didn't want to face the questions Rick would have about both girls.

Daryl watched as Salem looked at him, turning in the truck seat to now face the passenger door. Her hand shot up to click the lock down, making Daryl's eyes squinted down. He knocked on the window, which she had rolled up. Salem stared at him with her green eyes wide. Slowly she shook her head no and Daryl felt his anger flare up at her lack of trust. Quickly, he pushed it down. She had no reason to trust Rick, Carl or Michonne and Daryl knew it. Before him, the last new people Salem had meant...

" Open the door." Daryl said, wrapping his knuckles on the window again. Salem reached forward, staring at him. Her hand hovered over the door lock as they stared at each other. Daryl could see the conflict in her eyes. She wanted to trust him...she did...but in reality, they had only known each other a few days and that was clearly going through her mind. Daryl sighed. " I could have raped you last night and I didn't. Could have taken you a few times in the past few days." He reminded her. Salem blinked and she flinched at his words but they worked. She popped the locked and allowed him to open the door.

" Is that your group?" Salem asked, slipping from the car. She pressed herself to the side of the truck as Daryl shut the door and nodded.

" Some of them." He answered without taking his eyes off her.

" And they are good people?" Salem asked. Daryl nodded again.

" And they together out of free will, cause they want to be, not because sumone is makin them." He said. Salem drew in a shaky breath but nodded.

" Okay." She said.

She placed her hands on the side of the truck and pushed herself away from it. She was nervous and the tension he had seen in her at the warehouse was back. As the couple started back to Rick and the other two, Salem put herself partially behind Daryl but to his surprise, he felt her straighten up and come to his side almost right away. He glanced down at her and saw her strength coming over her face. She was holding her head high and ready for anything coming her way.

" This is Salem. She was bein held by the men that found me." Daryl said. Rick, Michonne and Carl were checking her over from top to bottom as she checked them out as well. Daryl caught Rick's attention and motioned him off to the side with a hitch of his head. Rick placed on hand on the butt of his gun, scrubbed a hand over his face but moved off with Daryl.

" Is your name really Salem? Like after the city?" Daryl heard Carl asked. He shot a look over his shoulder and caught Salem's eyes. She blinked at him before looking back at Carl.

" This group of men found me. They took me to their warehouse where they were livin. They had the girl chained up and were usin her for sex." Daryl informed Rick.

" They were abusing her?" Rick asked.

" Yeah. They gave her to me for two nights, thinkin I'd do the same. They made her their slave. Made her cook for them, clean their shit. There was six of them and they passed her around the group, different man every night. I drugged them, took the key to free her and we took off." Daryl said.

" Where you with anyone from our group?" Rick asked.

Salem rubbed her arms with her hands and shifted her weight to her right leg as she walked to the fire with the boy and the striking black woman with long dreads. The boy, Carl, sat on the ground and started to throw little sticks into their fire. Michonne sat down beside him, bumping his shoulder. Salem watched as he looked up at her and smiled. She laughed softly and returned the smile. Salem sank down slowly across from them.

" So Daryl found you?" Carl asked when he looked back at her.

" No. He was found and brought to where I was being held." Salem answered.

" Held? Someone was keeping you?" MIchonne asked. Salem nodded.

" Yeah." Her eyes shifted to the fire as she recounted how Joe and his men had come to her place and what had happen to her. She left out details, only starting that she had been kept chained and abused and by the time she was done talking, Daryl and Rick had joined them at the fire. Rick took his spot at his son's right and Daryl crouched down beside Salem.

" We need to figure out our next move." Rick said. Daryl felt Salem shift beside him, lightly pressing her body against his. He wanted to look down at her but kept his eyes on Rick. " We have seen some signs, for a town."

" Think it's safe?" Daryl asked.

" I don't know but I'm hoping that if anyone from our group is still alive, they will see those signs and follow them." Rick said, making Daryl nod.

" We have been walking non-stop and needed a break." Michonne filled in. " We decided to stop here for a bit." Daryl looked out into the woods, his eyes scanning the trees around them.

" Should get some food." He said. He looked back to Rick who nodded. " I'll hunt, get us sumthin to eat. We can stay here for the rest of the day, rest up, sleep in the truck and the car there then head out."

" Sounds good." Rick agreed.

Daryl was ready to stand and do just that when he felt Salem place one of her small hands on his arm. Her cool fingers came into contact with his hot skin, wrapping around his muscle, surprising him at her ease with touching him. He looked down at her wide, green gaze. He couldn't get used to it, no matter how many times she touched him or hugged him. No one ever touched him as freely as she did, right off the bat. After everything she had been through, she shouldn't want to touch anyone and get with him, she didn't seem to think twice.

" Can we talk privately for a minute?" She asked softly.

Daryl's eyes shifted to Rick then Michonne, seeing that they were also surprised at the girl's hand on the hunter. He looked back at her and nodded. He expected the contact between them to end there but it didn't. Instead of her pulling her hand away from him, she squeezed him. Daryl placed his hands on his knees and pushed himself up to his full height, pulling her up with him. It wasn't until he started to turn, giving Rick his back, when she let him go. Another surprising fact, he liked her touch. The second she let go of him, Daryl missed it. He was starting to like that she was so dependent on him. He liked that she trusted him and only him. He liked that...Salem took a hold of his bicep, interrupting his thoughts and making his muscles tense then relax. As they took a few steps after from the members of his old group, she, again, pressed her much smaller body into his.

" Can I go with you?" She whispered while they walked.

" Huntin?" Daryl asked, sparing a glance at her. The girl was staring up at him again. Her eyes travelling over his face, complete trust deep in the depths.

" Yeah. I just...I'm nervous about being away from you. What if they find me or worst, what if they find you?"

Daryl stopped walking and turned so he was completely facing her. She blinked as she turned as well, still holding onto his arm. Worst, in her mind, was if they find him. She was more worried about Joe and the gang find him then finding her. Somewhere, deep inside Daryl, he felt a twitch. Something strange, like a burning or a tightening was settling in his chest. Daryl swallowed and frowned. His throat felt like it was swelling and his heart was starting to pound.

" You think it's worst if they find me." It was a statement he made, not a question, because he couldn't understand her concern.

" Yeah. If they find me, they will try and take me back to the warehouse. And I'll fight them. They will fight me back. They will hit me or kick me, they may even knock me out. If I wake up back at the warehouse, I will kill myself. I stashed those pills you brought me and I'll take them all and my pain will be over." Salem said as she slowly blinked again. And Daryl believed her. She was deadly serious and wasn't upset about it at all. " But if they find you, you will suffer. They will torture you and your friends. They will make you wish for death but they won't bring it until you are screaming for it. I know this about them." Daryl's mouth went dry. " If we stay together, we have a better chance." Without thinking, Daryl's right hand went to his knife.

" They ain't gonna do shit." He said, unclipping the strap that held the big knife against his body. " You can't go huntin with me. I'll move faster and get us food if me and Rick go. He can hunt with me too. Between me and him, if we find them out in the woods, they don't stand a chance." Daryl pulled the knife free and turned it in his hand, feeling the cool steel against his palm as he handed it over to her. "Sumoneshows up while I'm gone, you don't think, you just act. You stab this in as deep as you can at whoever is closest to you. Michonne will help, the kid has a gun." Salem reached out and took the knife, taking it in both her hands and pulling it against her stomach, blade side down. " Pull the blade out, slice their throats then stab them in the head."

" You'll come back for me, won't you?" Salem asked. Daryl nodded. Salem relaxed without taking her hand off his bicep. Her shoulders sagged down and some of the tension she had been carrying in her face, drained out. She exhaled and nodded. " Be careful."

Her other hand came up. The slender fingers wrapped around his other arm as she stepped up and into his space. Daryl's body tighten as her tension was transferred over to his. Only hers had been from fear and his was from the nearness of her body. Salem gave him the smallest smile before she pressed her pale lips to his cheek. Daryl's breath went from steady and strong to shallow and short. It was hard to breath suddenly when she was inches away from him. It was hard to breath when she pressing her lips to his skin. It was hard to breath when he knew how much concern she had for him over her own self.

" Hurry back, please." She whispered before she pulled away completely.

TWDTWDTWD

Daryl never hunted so fast in his life. The second he left the girl with Michonne and Carl, he wanted to be back at her side. She was well protected, he knew it. Between Carl's gun and his quick shot andMichonne and her sword, plus Salem with his knife and her new found need to survive, he had the faith that she was well protected but he also found that he wasn't fond of leavin her. He felt high levels of anxiety or stress being away from her. He had a hard time concentrating of finding them food.

He reminding himself over and over again at how safe she was with the other two but there was a nagging part of him that told him that she wasn't completely safe and protected until she was at his side and he could see her. Part of that surprised him. He didn't know her, had only been around her a few days but his protective streak over Salem surprised him.

Yeah, he had it with Carol, with Michonne, Rick and the others but only because he had been fighting with them for months, a year or so actually. What had formed his bond with Salem? Was it because he understood what she had been through and could relate? Was it because he hadn't been able to protect Beth and he was going to make up for his fault in that by caring for Salem? That had to be it. If he had kept Beth at his side, in his sight, she won't have been taken from him. She won't be going through God knows what right now, if she was even still alive. Yeah, that was it. That knowledge was what was driving Daryl's protectiveness over Salem, his need to be at her side. It was nothing else. Although, that didn't explain the feelings he had in his chest and stomach when she touched him, stepped close to him or even just spoke to him. It didn't tell him why his heart started to pound, his stomach hurt and his chest would be tight when she cast her eyes on him.

When night fell around them, they were all quiet as they stared into the fire, their stomachs as full as they could get. Rick, Carl and Michonne were on one side of the fire, Daryl and Salem on the other. Daryl was sitting with his knees bent and his arms around them. His hands were clasped together and there was nothing going through his mind, for once. Instead, he was just listening to the world around them, listening for walkers and other, more living things.

A chill moved around them, thanks to the breeze that swayed the leaves over their heads. Salem scooted closer to Daryl as she stared at the fire. She relaxed into his side, letting her head come to rest against his arm. Daryl felt himself tense again. His hands tighten their hold on each other. His eyes shot up to meet Rick's face at the same time he felt Salem's fingers slip into the large pocket of his cargo pants that sat against the outside part of his right thigh. Rick's eyebrows went up as his eyes widen and small smile went over his lips. Daryl's eyes shot over to Michonne who was grinning at him as well.

Suddenly, Daryl wanted to spring up and out of her reach. This was too much and he wasn't ready for it. She was getting too close, to comfortable with him and he wanted it to stop. He wanted her away from him and not snuggling up against his side or taking comfort in his nearness. He didn't want her touching him anymore or even looking at him!

Now that wasn't completely true and inside Daryl's panicking mind he knew it. He liked how she felt at his side. He liked how her fingers tightened on his pocket. He liked how she sighed when she touched him, like she was completely comfortable with him. He liked how her eyes had lighten up when he came back through the woods, earlier that day and now he was wondering if it really did have anything to do with losing Beth or could it be more...

" Well look who we have here..." Joe walked around the car with a smile, his gun and his boys.


	8. Chapter 8

***Please review and thank you for all the kinds words!***

Cold dread washed over Daryl at once. Salem sat up straight. Rick and Michonne frowned and Carl looked confused. Daryl felt the acid rinse of bile raise up and hit the back of his throat. How had they found them? Were Daryl and Salem closer to the warehouse then he had thought? Had he gotten turned around in their travels? And more importantly, did Joe know it was Rick who had been inside that house?

" Joe..." Daryl heard Salem whisper. Joe looked at her, still smiling.

" Hello, Sweetheart. I just bet you thought you'd never see my handsome face again." He said.

" That's him, Joe! That's who was under the bed!" Tony said suddenly as he pointed to Rick angrily. Joe held up his hand to silence his friend.

" Looks like we get to kill two birds with one stone. " Joe sighed as he crouched down. He braced his forearms on his knees and clasped his hands together. He looked like he was having a casual conversation with his friends, instead of the woman he raped and beat, the man who rescued her and the man who killed a member of his group. " You broke my heart, Sweetheart. And Daryl? I trusted you. I saved you, fed you, gave you a safe place to stay, a beautiful woman to lay with and slack your need and this is how you repay me? First you claim her and then you take her away from me. I just feel like my heart has been ripped out." Salem sprung up, startling Daryl. Both he and Joe stood up, followed by Rick, Carl and Michonne.

" Don't, Joe, please." She said.

" Don't what, Sweetheart?" Joe asked. He shifted his position with his right hand coming up to rest against the butt of his gun.

" Don't take anything out on them. Please. If you leave them alone, I'll go with you, right now." Slowly, Daryl started to unstrap his knife from the holder. Never taking his eyes off the gang in front of them, he pulled it out, moving so slowly he was sure none of them noticed. " Just don't hurt them or Daryl." Joe's smile went from amused to almost mock sadness. He made a noise in the back of his throat and pretended to be thinking it over.

" Shut up, bitch!" Len snapped as Daryl reached out behind Salem's back.

" Well, Sweetheart, I just can't do it. I have no way of knowing if Daryl will come and steal you away again or not. I won't be able to sleep, knowing you are in danger of being dragged out into this horrible world again. So," The leader's casual smile snapped back into place as he clapped his hands together before rubbing his palms against each other. " here is what is going to happen, you are coming back with us. We are going to kill Daryl because he hurt me so badly. We are going to kill his friend because he took one of us. Billy is going to rape his son first, to teach him a lesson, then kill him. This other woman is coming with us too."

" Joe..." Salem whined.

She felt the back of her shirt being lifted, allowing some of the cool night air to kiss against her bare skin. She tensed, unsure of what Daryl was doing. His rough fingertips brushed against her spine before she felt the handle of his knife touch her. The cold steel of the knife slide down her spine until he wedged it between her and the waist band of her stole jeans. He was arming her, which meant she won't be defenseless against the fight she knew was coming. Silently, she thanked him. She had never hurt anyone human in her life but she wasn't about to be dragged back to the hellhole that used to be her home. She wasn't about to let Daryl and the others, the kid, be hurt. If she died trying to help them overtake Joe and his boys, so be it.

" You need to be punished so, as much as you mean to me, after we get to the warehouse, I'm going to kill you." Joe said. Salem's stomach dropped. She felt Daryl's hand, which had still been on the hilt of his knife, tense and tighten on the handle. She felt the heat of him slam into her back as anger went over the hunter. " We can't keep two women anyway and Billy has never been with a black one before."

" And he's not going to be with one today either." Michonne said in her low voice. Joe smiled before he chuckled.

" No, not today, he isn't. This day is almost up and besides that, we will spend the rest of the night with Salem. It's going to be a fair well night with her. We will all take a turn to celebrate her. But tomorrow...well tomorrow the boys will start earning their time with you." He said.

" You have one chance to turn around and walk away here." Rick said. " I'll give this to you but if you don't take it, you and your men are going to die."

" I like fighters." Joe said. " Boys."

Daryl pulled his hand away from Salem as everything broke out at once. Two men grabbed Michonne before she could react. She was throw against the side of the car they had been camping beside. Billy grabbed Carl and while the boy fought him, he was no match for the grown man who outwieght him but almost two hundred pounds. Joe grabbed Rick by his shoulders and they started to fight. Len and Dan rushed forward to over take Salem and Daryl.

Carl started to scream and cry as he was pushed to the ground by Billy who was laughing and undoing his pants. Michonne was screaming to Carl and fighting against the men holding her in place. Daryl was taking a swing at Dan, his fist connecting hard against the other man's chin. Salem yanked Daryl's knife out of it's hiding place and stabbed at Len, who dodged it with a laugh. Chaos was erupting all around her but Salem felt herself focus. Everything around her went quiet as she zoned in on her target. She would not go back, she would not go back. Len grinned and lunged for her. Salem swung her arm out...

" Bitch!" Len screamed out as she plunged Daryl's knife deep into his stomach. She yanked it out, cutting through skin, muscle and organs. She let out the battle cry she had kept inside her from the moment she meant Joe and lashed her arm out against. The steel harshness made contact with Len's side and sank in. He let out another scream, this time managing to draw Joe's attention and make his leader look back at him.

And Rick took the upper hand. He did the only thing he could since his hands were trapped under Joe's. He sank his teeth into the other man's neck. He clamped down before he ripped away, opening Joe's throat. There was a hot rush of red and white blood cells as they sprayed out and all over Rick's face. Joe's eyes went wide but he had no time to fight back. He looked at Rick with shock on his face. As he fell back onto his back, he grabbed at his throat to stop the blood flow.

Daryl knocked his target over and began to beat the man to death with his bare hands. Rick grabbed Billy by the collar. He yanked him off his son then helped the would be child rapist to a mouth full of steel and bullets. Salem fell forward, stabbing Len over and over again as she screamed. Harley let go of Michonne to try and help his friends, only to lose his head to Rick's gun. The other man let go of Michonne to grab Salem but was cut down by the bloody fist of the hunter.

Salem stabbed and screamed. The rush of her blood was the only thing she could hear. She unleashed everything she had been feeling at the warehouse, her fear, her anger, her hate. She poured it all into every swing her arm and every plunge of the knife, not even stopping when the man stopped breathing. Sweat broke out along her hairline. Blood splatter up and onto her face, coating her shirt and jeans. Over and over again, she stabbed.

" That's enough!" She barely heard the rough, low, southern voice snapped.

When the voice didn't give her pause, two strong arms wrapped around her from behind. They locked down around her arms and she was suddenly lifted up and off the dead man. She kicked her legs out straight and fought against the hold even as she was turned around. She arched her back and screamed, determined that she'd never again be forced to do anything she didn't want too again. She fought hard, kicking and making contact with someone's legs, someone was grunting and squeezed her harder. She was dropped down but not let go. Two legs crushed themselves against hers as they crouched on the ground. One hand flew up and pressed against her forehead, forcing her head back and against a wide chest.

" That's enough, Salem! Calm down! It's over! It's over!" Daryl repeated over and over against her hair as he struggled to try and hold her still. She was clutching his knife against her body, even though it and her hands were coated in blood. " It's done! They dead!" All at once, he felt her body shudder and all the fight leave her. She sagged against his body and stopped screaming to start crying.

Salem's sobbed rocked her body, hard. She dropped Daryl's knife to the ground. Daryl removed his hand from her forehead, allowing her to lean forward her cover her face with her blood soaked, trembling hands. Surprisingly, he didn't let her go completely. As she leaned forward, crying as hard as she could, Daryl placed a hand on the middle of her back, spreading his fingers out to try and steady her. He looked over his shoulder to see Rick holding his son against him. Carl was also sobbing and clutching at his father's arms.

Michonne went around to the bodies, stabbing them in the head to make sure no one woke up again. The last thing they needed was to worry about walkers. Daryl looked back to the girl in his arms. Her hair had fallen forward, shielding her face from anyone's view. He struggled with himself on how to bring her comfort. Part of him knew she needed to get everything out. She needed to cry and release herself but another part of him wanted to make everything better for her. He wanted to sooth her the way no one had ever soothed him when he had been abused. He knew just what she was feeling, what she was going through and he didn't want her to do it alone. He just didn't know how to help her.

Salem shuddered again as she opened her eyes. She dropped her hands to the ground, dirt raising up the second her hands made contact with it. She sobbed but it was quieter than the others. Red wetness dripped from her cheeks, eyes and chin, salty tears mixed with blood. She whined and closed her hands into fist. Her eyes shifted to the old boots at each other sides. Warmth spread from her back up and down her spin. Heat coated her sides from the body holding her still and saying nothing. Salem started to turn, thankfully that the man holding her lessen his arms and legs to allow her the movement. Her wild eyes meant the hunter's blue ones.

" I killed him." She whispered. Daryl nodded.

" You had no choice." He said. Her eyes twitched like she wanted to look around him but couldn't break eye contact with him. He nodded again, hoping his words would reach through the haze he saw her slipping into. " You had no choice." He repeated. " It was you or him."

" I chose me." She whispered. Another nod from the hunter.

" You chose you." He confirmed. She reached up and took a hold of his vest. Her fingers closed in on leather as she struggled with herself openly. Tears welled in her eyes but she won't let them fall again. Her throat worked hard as she forced herself to swallow past the lump he was sure was inside her.

" I couldn't stop, Daryl." She whispered, her eyes searching his. " Once I started, I just couldn't stop. I felt everything they did to me. I remembered everything at once. Every fist hitting me, every time they cut the air off in my throat, every time they raped them and laughed. I felt it all. I remembered it all and I couldn't stop stabbing him." Daryl took a hold of her elbows to steady her.

" You had no choice." He said again. " We gonna get up now, clean you off then figure shit out. You ain't got to look at them. They all dead now."

" Okay." Salem whispered again.

Daryl started to raise, pulling her up with him. Her hands flatten against his chest as they moved together. She was breathing hard like she couldn't catch her breath. She was staring at him but the haze and wildness in her gaze was fading. She whined and closed her eyes hands. She moved into his body, her arms sliding down to his hips to circle his waist as she turned her face. She sighed as her head came to rest against him. Daryl's arms fell to his sides. Her shoulders rose and fell as she sagged into him more. Daryl swallowed while he stared down at the top of her head.

On it's own, his right arm came up. His hand hovered over her back, shaking slightly. He should touch her, pat her back or stroke her hair. He wanted too, he felt the need too. His hand closed in the air then opened again. He flexed his fingers as wide as he could before he closed them again and dropped his hand to his sides. He just couldn't do it. He just couldn't offer her comfort or touch her.

Salem pulled away and blinked up at him. She swallowed again then nodded like she had made her mind about something she was telling herself silently. She reached up to wipe her tears away but paused when she noticed the blood on her skin again. She turned her hands so her palms were facing her then turned them again so they were facing Daryl. She looked up at him again.

" Can I go wipe my hands on something?" She asked, making the hunter nod.


	9. Chapter 9

*** Please Review!***

Daryl was sitting on the ground, knees bend and arms around them and Rick at his left. It was early the next morning and chilly out but that didn't stop the hunter and the former cop from sitting outside, both staring into their small fire. Daryl was turning a small stick over and over again in his hand before he tossed it into the fire. He blinked before he looked at the truck that was sitting just a little ways ahead of him. The girl was passed out, just inside it, locked safe away. Carl and Michonne were sleeping in the truck.

Rick sighed and Daryl knew his mind was a million miles away. Daryl told him about Beth, how they had been together and how he had lost her. Rick told him how he and Carl had been alone until Michonne had found them but that wasn't the only thing on his mind and Daryl knew it. Carl's screams were replaying in both their minds. Salem's screams were bouncing around inside Daryl's.

" Truck still has some gas in it. We can drive it in the direction of the town then stash it sumwhere." Daryl said, making Rick nod.

" Carl, Michonne and I can sit in the bed of it while you drive." He said, making Daryl nod. Again, the two fell silent.

Salem sighed and frowned with her eyes shut. She turned from her side to her back and stretched out her legs. She jolted away when she touched the cold metal door of the truck. Her eyes flew open as the night flooded back to her. She grabbed the back of the seat and yanked herself up. The first thing Salem saw was Daryl. Relief flooded her and made her sag down. She leaned her face against the seat and just stared at him as he sat by the fire with Rick.

He hadn't left her. He hadn't decided she was an uncontrollable monster who stabbed a man over and over, and walked away from her. He was just outside the truck, a few yards away. Salem sank back down into the seat so she was laying down again. She bend her knees, feeling the cold of the seat through her socks. Her hands went into her hair as she stared at the roof of the old truck. She was alive and unharmed, Joe and the boys were gone and she'd never have to be raped by them again, and Daryl was still there with her.

Salem dropped her hands to her stomach and smiled despite of it all. Her eyes shifted to something on the floor that caught her attention. She frowned and rolled over to her side again. That frown faded and was replaced with a small laugh. She reached out and trailed her fingers over the handle of Daryl's knife. The knife he had taken from her. And yet, here it was, placed within arms reach of her, cleaned.

With the knife tucked into her waistband, Salem opened the door to the truck and slipped out. She picked her backpack up and off the floor of the truck and unzipped it. She pulled out the mouthwash, untwisted the cap and took a quick swig. She used her tongue to swirl the minty liquid around, giving her back to the fire as she did so. She spit it out onto the ground then started to replace the cap when a voice stopped her.

" What's that?" She looked to her side to see Carl standing there, still wearing the large officer hat. She looked back at the mouthwash and laughed.

" Mouthwash. Stupid, I know." Salem said. She looked back at Carl and popped her eyebrows up. " Do you want some?" She asked. Carl shrugged but reach out.

" Sure." He took the bottle, uncapped it then tossed some of the green mouthwash into his mouth. As his cheeks puffed up and the swishing sound was heard, he replaced the cap and handed it back to her. After a few seconds, he leaned away from Salem and spit. " Usually, Michonne and I chew gum when we can find it but that was better." He said, swiping the back of his hand over his mouth.

" How did you sleep last night?" Salem asked.

" Okay. My dad and I slept in the car but sometimes Michonne came in. My dad, Daryl and her took turns keeping watch outside." Carl informed her. " What about you?"

" I don't even remember falling asleep or getting in the truck." Salem said.

" Daryl put you there. You fell asleep against him and he carried you to the truck and tucked you in." Carl's words made her cheeks heat. Not only had she killed someone in front of him and screamed her head off like a lunatic, she had fallen asleep and forced him to carry her. What was wrong with her?

" Your dad wants you." A rough, low, southern voice came from Salem's back, making her eyes go wide her cheeks flame even more.

" I'll talk to you later, Salem." Carl tossed a wave her way before he headed over to the fire. Salem took a deep breath before she turned and faced her hunter. She cleared her throat as her eyes met his.

" Mouthwash?" She asked, thrusting her hand out to him.

One of Daryl's dark eyebrows went up but he took the bottle from her. He didn't take his eyes from hers as he opened the bottle. What was wrong with her?! Salem silently yelled at herself. Why was she feeling so shy and uncertain around him? After everything they had been through. Daryl took a swig from her bottle with her remembering all the embarrassing things he knew about what had happen to her. For shit sake's, he stayed in the bathroom with her when she was showering. He had seen her lose her mind just the night before.

As she watched him swish the mouth wash around, she remembered things she had forgotten from the night. He had led her to a stream he and Rick has found when they were hunting. He had made her sit on the ground and gently and carefully cleaned the blood away from her hands and face while she had just sat there, staring at him. Daryl hadn't said a thing when he took her much smaller hands in one of his large ones. His other hand had cupped some water before he dripped it on her skin. He wiped, he cleaned, he had swept his hands over her face to clear the blood away while she had been too stunned to respond.

Then with a hand on her arm, he had guided her back to the truck and waited with his back to her as she changed. She had stayed in the truck with Carl, who hadn't been talking either while the others buried the bodies. Shame now coated Salem. She shouldn't have checked out like she had. What had happen, had happen to them all, not just her and yet, she had went into her mind, refused to come out, and let them clean up the mess. That was why she was feeling shy around him now. It had nothing to do with his beautiful eyes and amazingly handsome face. It had nothing to do with the fact that she knew she was developing feelings for this strong, mostly silent man.

Daryl watched as her shoulders slumped down and something passed over her face. Her pretty, sad face. Her eyes shifted away from his and Daryl found himself wanting her to look back at him. He liked that she always held his eyes. He liked that he could feel her stare at him. He liked that this pretty, little thing looked to him for strength. Daryl flipped around, giving her his back so he could spit...yeah that was it, not to hide how his cheeks went red. He wasn't blushing over a girl. A girl he had no business feeling anything towards.

And what was that feeling? Daryl didn't know. He didn't know what to call it. All he knew was his heart beat faster when she was around. His stomach warmed whenever she looked at him. His hands went into fists to keep from touching her expect when he had too. She had been touched unwanted enough by men and Daryl was not about do it. She could touch him, she could lean against him, put her hand in his pocket, fall asleep against his shoulder all she wanted but Daryl wouldn't touch her unless she asked. And even then, he wasn't sure he should or would touch her. Daryl turned back around and handed her back her bottle.

" We gonna hit the road soon." He said.

Salem nodded as she wrapped her hand around the neck of the bottle. To her surprise, and on accident, her hand touched his and they both froze. Her eyes widen while Daryl's narrowed down. Salem swallowed hard while Daryl seemed to be holding his breath. The pulse in his heart started to beat harder, so hard she could see it pushing against the skin there. Did he like her touching him? He wasn't like the others, she knew that. If he was, he would have hurt her when he had the chance. Inside her, deep inside her, Salem felt the old Salem start to awaken.

The old Salem that hadn't been nervous around men and had had boyfriends. She had to admit, she was developing a crush on Daryl and it was safe. He won't hurt her and she knew it. She would never that Salem again, that Salem that had been carefree with guys, dating when she wanted, had thought bad things wouldn't happen to her. Joe had destroyed that part of that Salem. He tried to make a new Salem in it's place, a Salem that accepted the horror and abuse that had been heaped on her and she realized that he had partially succeeded and that made her hate him even more. No, she would never be her old self again but she didn't have to be Joe's Salem anymore. She could, and would, emerge both Salems. The old one and the new one. The one who rose out of the ashes of Joe.

" To where?" She asked as they both kept a hold of the bottle. Daryl cleared his throat and dropped his arm suddenly.

" Rick saw sum signs, for a town. Supposed to be safe. We gonna check it out." He said. And what was wrong with his voice? Was it lower than usually? Why did it sound...husky to him? And why was she smiling at him?

" Okay." Salem said.

" That's it? That's all you got to say? Just okay?" Daryl asked. Salem nodded, tossing the bottle back into the truck. She sighed as her smile grew.

" Yeah. I trust you, Daryl. Where you go, I go. If you think it's a safe place to go, a smart place, and you are going, I am going." Salem said. Daryl noticed how she stood up straight. Right in front of him she made a decision, a choice. Something changed in her from one moment to the next. She seem to get stronger, so sure of herself. Her chin lifted as she held his eyes. " I need to tell you I'm sorry." Daryl frowned at her words.

" For what?" He asked.

" For losing my mind last night. I shut down and I had no right. After everything you have done for me, I just shut down and left you to clean up the mess." Daryl brought his left hand up to let it rest on the edge of the bed of the truck while his right one came to his hip. Confusion went across his face. " So that's not me, at least not who I used to be. Before all this shit happen, I was strong. I didn't back down from anything or anyone. I wasn't scared of anything, my brothers made sure of that. I took life by the horns and kicked it in the ass and I forgot that. I let Joe take that away from me and now it's time for me to take it back. What happen to me last night, won't happen again. You won't have to clean up after me again. I'm stronger than that. I'm not the victim he tried to make me."

" No one called you a victim." Daryl said.

" You didn't have too, I was acting like one. I was weak last night. I have been weak and I'm done with it. I know how to fight, how to defend myself. I mean, I have never...killed anyone...but you were right when you said it was either me or him. So I refuse to feel bad for what happen and from here on out, I'll watch your ass like you have watched mine." Daryl's eyebrows hit the sky. " I'll pull my own weight so you won't have to carry me anymore. I can do this. I can survive." Salem finished.

" Alright...Should get sumthing to eat." Daryl muttered before he turned around and started back towards the fire. Her words went over him again and Daryl felt heat rush again to his face.

" I'll watch your ass." Daryl glanced over his shoulder at the girl. Was she watching his ass? His stomach started to flip around inside him. Why did it matter! Daryl frowned and focused on hurrying to the fire and sitting down...where she couldn't be able to watch anything!

TWDTWDTWD

After everyone had eaten the food Daryl had caught and the fire was put out, Rick, Carl, and Michonne climbed in the back of the truck. Salem and Daryl settled into the front seat. She was even more relaxed and almost happy looking, Daryl noticed. She was leaning back in the seat, her legs up and her little feet propped against the dashboard in front of her. She had the window down with one hand resting on her leg and the other on the window sill. Her fingers were drumming like she was thinking about some music she liked and suddenly he wanted to know what her favorite type was.

Salem rolled her head so she could look at Daryl. He jumped like she startled him, which she wasn't sure was even possible. He seemed so alert all the time, so on top of everything. Daryl cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, sitting up more. He draped his right arm over the wheel to steer and brought his left elbow up. It was resting on the door handle as his hand opened then closed.

" Did you know them before all this?" She asked. Daryl glanced at her then back at the road before he shook his head.

" No." He answered.

" Where you alone?" Salem asked. A breeze floated into the truck and licked across her skin. Salem closed her eyes and smiled at the feeling. This was something she had been missing while being locked away from the world. Not even the dead could take away the wonderful feeling of the wind against her skin.

" No. I was with my brother but he didn't make it." Daryl said. He cleared his throat again, making her open her eyes to watch him. " We had another group, most of them didn't make it. Sum did though."

" And that's who we are looking for now." Salem said. Daryl nodded. He ducked his head down to quickly check his mirrors. There was nothing there, of course, but she was staring at him and Daryl felt the need to move. " I'm sorry about your brother." Daryl looked at her and felt his eyes twitch. He pursed his lips together, looked out the windshield and started to rub his upper lip again. He let out a sigh with a nod.

" Thanks." He said.

" Where you there?" She asked. Daryl dropped his hand from his lips to look at her again. " When he didn't make it, where you there? Or did you see him...later?" Daryl swallowed, staring at the empty road as the image of Merle as a walker came back to him. He cranked his head to side, cracking his neck and give his shoulders a shake to try and push away the flash of pain that hit him with the memory.

" I saw him. He was one of the dead. A walker. I put him down." Now it was Salem's turn to sigh. She turned her face away from him to look out her window. She slowly stuck her hand out and into the world, spreading her fingers as she did so. The wind sliced between her fingers and around her arm, cooling the skin it found there.

" At least you know what happen to him." Salem moved her fingers back and forth as she watched them. " I'd give anything to know what happen to mine." Daryl didn't say anything. He was sure he knew what happen and he was sure she knew as well. If the walkers hadn't gotten them, Joe or people like him had. " I mean, I know they didn't just leave us so I know they are dead but I guess, knowing how they died would put me at ease a bit." Salem dropped her hand down to the door and looked at Daryl again. " You know? It's so hard to lose someone and not know what happen."

" Yeah." Daryl knew that was true then anything. " How many brothers did you have?" Another spared glance at her told Daryl she was watching him again. And it unnerved him.

" Three. Travis, Samuel, and Killian. Killian was the oldest. Travis and Samuel were the middle ones and I was the baby." Salem answered. She let her eyes roam over the hunter beside her.

Yeah, there was no denying that he was attractive, even though he was dirty, sweating and had dried blood spots on his arms. His longish, dark hair was sticking to his forehead, cheeks and neck. His biceps twitched as he drove or moved to get more comfortable. He was frowning as he let his elbow sit on the door and his fingers comb through his goatee but Salem wasn't sure Daryl knew how often he frowned. Then again, he had seen a lot of horrors in the new world and those horrors could rob you of your smile.

" I like you, Daryl. A lot." Salem admitted at the same time she slide herself across the bench seat of the truck. " I know that if you hadn't save me, Len would have ended up snapping and killing me and I would have let him. I won't have fought back because I was reaching the end. I was tired of everything and then you said something to me that renewed me." Daryl tensed up as he felt her reach his personal space. She brought her legs up and got herself more comfortable against his side.

" What?" Daryl asked, barely able to keep his mind together as she let her head rest against his arm. She was so comfort with touching him and Daryl liked it...he didn't like that he liked it but he did.

" I ain't a rapist. The four most beautiful words I had heard in a long ass time." Salem turned in the seat. Her back settling into his side as the back of her head snuggled into his arm. She bent her legs to fit in the seat more. Salem smiled, watching the world go back. " Those were the best words ever spoken to me."


	10. Chapter 10

*** Please Review! I want to clear things up. When Salem said she would watch Daryl's ass, she wasn't saying to flirt with him. She wasn't trying to tell him she was going to check out his ass. It was more of a saying. Yeah, Daryl thought about what she said because he thinks about sex related things, even though he won't act on anything, according to Reedus.***

" We will leave the truck here, bury our guns in the woods then scope out the town. If need be, we will come back for the supplies." Rick said as everyone stood outside the truck. Daryl felt Salem shift beside him a second before he felt her fingertips brush against his arm. He looked down at her as she blinked up at him.

" I need a weapon." She said. " Can I have your knife?" Daryl nodded as he pulled his knife out and handed it over to her. She smiled as they started walking through the woods, following Rick and the others. Something about having Daryl's knife made her feel so much better. She didn't know if it was the feel of the handle in her hand, knowing she had a way to defend herself when she had been powerless for so long or if it was because it was his. She didn't really care either.

They entered the town with Rick and Michonne taking the lead, then Carl, then Salem and Daryl. The little group was tense as they looked around and listened. Salem was holding Daryl's knife against her stomach with one hand, frowning as she tried to take everything in. Daryl had his cross bow in front of him with his hands tight on it. He was ready to strike if need be. Rick hadn't drawn his weapon, yet, but his hand was on the butt of the gun. Michonne had one hand on the handle of the sword she had strapped to her back.

" Hello. Welcome to Terminus." The group tensed and stilled as a woman with long, thick hair greeted them with a smile.

" Don't draw your weapons, we won't hurt you." A younger man said as he slowly walked towards them after coming out of a building.

" No offense, but how do we know that?" Rick asked. The man smiled as he held up his hands, spreading his fingers.

" How do we know you won't hurt us?" He asked in return. " We are a peaceful town, just trying to live. If you promise not to draw your weapons, we can take you inside and get you something drink and eat. I'm Gareth." The man said. Daryl whistled, giving a sign to Rick. The former cop quickly let his eyes scan the top of one of the buildings. Salem looked up too, seeing a few men on the top of the buildings with guns pointed down at them.

" Daryl." Salem whispered. He grunted his confirmation that he had seen them.

" You want us to put our guns down when you have men pointing theirs down at us?" Rick asked.

" Well, we have people here to protect. We have to make sure you aren't going to come in here and hurt us, don't we?" Gareth asked, still smiling. Salem moved in closer to Daryl.

" I don't trust his smile. He has a Joe smile." She whispered to her savior. Daryl grunted again.

" Can we trust each other? We are all the same. We are just trying to survive in the world, same as you are. Now, let's go inside and have a chat." Gareth said.

Knowing they were outnumbered and couldn't leave with a fight, Rick nodded slowly. Daryl lowed his cross bow as Michonne's hand slipped from her sword. Daryl muttered to Salem to stay close and keep her eyes open as they followed after Gareth. They walked into an empty building, not at all surprised to see another round of men with guns. Gareth just looked at them and smiled.

" Have any of you been bitten?" He asked.

" No." Rick answered.

" If you are lying and we find out..." Gareth kept his smile as he let the threat hang in the air.

" We haven't been bitten." Rick confirmed.

" Good. Now," Gareth clapped his hands together before he started to rub them. " I bet you guys are hungry, huh? Let's get you something to eat and introduce you around."

As they followed Gareth and the armed men, Salem put herself right against Daryl. Partly because it made her feel better to be as close to him as she could get and partly so they could whisper to each other without drawing too much attention to themselves. Daryl dipped his head down just enough to hear her but not enough for anyone to notice.

" Something isn't right." Salem whispered, her eyes taking in the area around them as Gareth spoke to Rick. " Something doesn't feel right. Can you tell?"

" Yeah." Daryl answered in his rough voice.

" We need to go, Daryl. We can't stay here." Salem urged. Daryl nodded but didn't say anything more.

The group was lead through a huge room with candles all over the place and writing on the walls. There were objects, trinkets almost, placed in different spots with names written on the ground. Salem held her breath as they looked around. Daryl cursed quietly, his tension bleeding over onto hers. Salem shook her head, not understanding what was around them...until...

Salem's steps slowed as her eyes zoned in on three objects sitting on the floor. The world around her faded away. Sounds left her. Her steps faulted until they stopped all at once. A tunnel vision started through her eyes. She was so distracted by what she was seeing, she didn't notice that everyone but Daryl had left the room. Salem turned and walked over to the objects, tilting her head as her throat closed and her stomach rolled.

" Salem." She heard Daryl say.

Salem sank to her knees in front of pocket knife with a blue handle with the name Samuel written in front of it, a stretch pad with the name Travis in front of it and a folded up leather vest with the name Killian written on the floor. Her hand shook as her blood roared in her ears. She reached out and picked up the knife. She turned it over and felt pain lance through her heart when she saw the initials, ST on the handle. She looked to the stretch pad next. She flipped the book open. A sob broke out before she could stop it. Her own face was staring at her, stretched in quick strokes of a pencil. Next, she brushed her hand over the vest. A tear slipped down her right cheek and then her left.

" These are my brothers things." She whispered. " This is Samuel's knife. My dad got it for him for his twenty-first birthday. He always had it with him. This is Travis' pad. He kept it in his backpack, even when they looted and this is Killian's vest."

" You sure?" Daryl asked as he stood by her left side.

" Yes." Salem nodded. She looked down at the names written on the cement floor. The fingers of her right hand glided over the names, each with a date and time written under it. " Oh my God...they killed them. This is a death date, Daryl. They killed my brothers."

" We need to go." Daryl urged. Salem picked up Killian's vest, placed it on top of the stretch pad then picked that up too. Her arms crossed her chest, holding her brothers things and Daryl's knife to her as she turned.

" They are dead, Daryl, and these people did it. I know it. Why else would they have their stuff and dates by their names." It wasn't a question, not really, and Daryl knew it. Daryl sighed as his eyebrows knit together. Pain and anger were back in her eyes, her eyes that had been clear for most of the day today. Daryl hated seeing them change back. He wanted to clear it all away again. She had been through enough. " Why would they do that? My brothers won't hurt anyone unless they were attacked first."

" Come on, we need to go." Daryl said. " We need to get Rick and them and leave." Salem blinked, sending a few more tears down her cheeks but she nodded and the couple started out of the room.

They hurried through the building, seeing Rick disappeared outside across the way. Daryl picked up his steps, making Salem start to jog. He swung his cross bow around in case he was going to need to fire off an arrow in defense. Salem steeled herself. This was not the time to mourn her brothers death. She could do that when they were safely out of the town. Besides that, it wasn't like she had actually thought the three men were still alive. Her head had known all along they were dead but seeing their things made her realize that her heart hadn't accepted the deaths.

" Rick!" Daryl called as he and his charge bust out of the building.

The scene in front of them was not something he was prepared for. The woman they had first seen was standing behind what looked like a grill. They were people sitting at tables, talking and eating. They all looked like they were having a picnic in the middle of the dead world. And now, they were all staring at Daryl and Salem.

" Where are my brothers!" Salem exploded as she rushed forward.

" I'm sorry...but what are you talking about?" Gareth asked.

" These are my brothers' things! You have them on the floor in that room with their names and dates written down! Where are they!" Salem yelled. Things happen fast from there. Rick drew his weapon, Michonne whipped out her sword, Daryl took his stand, spreading his legs and aiming down his sites. Again, Gareth just smiling.

" If I were you, I'd stop yelling and tell your friends to put their weapons down." He said calmly.

" Answer her question." Rick snapped.

" I don't think any of you are in the position to question us, are you?" Gareth asked.

" Did you kill them!" Salem yelled. Gareth sighed and made a show of rubbing at his forehead.

" Please stop yelling and I really don't want to ask you that again." He said.

" Tough shit!" Daryl snapped.

" You are all out numbered and out gunned. I suggest you put your weapons down. It doesn't have to be like this. We can offer you shelter but if you don't put your weapons down, we will be forced to kill you all right here, right now." Gareth said.

" I didn't live through being chained to a pole and raped to be killed here." Salem snapped.

" Then tell your men to put down their weapons and will figure this all out." Gareth said.

Knowing Gareth was right and not knowing what else to do just yet, slowly and angrily Rick lowered his gun until he dropped it to the ground. Michonne unstrapped her sword and it was next to be dropped. Daryl glared but set his crossbow down. Salem, feeling torn and overwhelmed with anger, tossed Daryl's knife down, having stashed her brother's pocket knife in her pocket.

At once, they were surrounded by men. Mary was speaking to Gareth as she stared at Salem. Daryl felt his muscles tense as he grit his molars together. He came up to stand by Salem, putting himself partially in front of her as he glared at a man pointing his gun directly at her head. She was trembling with her anger, which Daryl knew was hiding her heart ache over her brothers' death.

Gareth pulled away from Mary and motioned to some of his men. They surrounded the group, pointing his gun towards them. Gareth smiled and walked around them so he was in front of everyone. Salem's hands tighten on her brother's things. If he tried to take them from her, she didn't know what she would do, other than hurt him.

" Follow me. Oh and know that you really have no choice but to follow after me. If you try and rush me, you will all be killed." Gareth turned and started to walk away.

The group followed him through the quiet town. They passed what looked like a old basketball court that was partially covered with blue plastic tarps. They walked around the back of the largest building and right up to an old train trailer. The group was pushed forward as the door was opened. They were all pushed inside, all by Salem. Gareth had taken her arm and pulled her to side. When Daryl noticed the action, he swung around quickly.

" Let her go!" He snapped. Guns swung up and pointed directly at his head. Rick grabbed the hunter's arm as Salem stared at him.

" Daryl." Rick said quietly.

" I'm not going to hurt your girlfriend." Gareth said.

" Let me go with them. They are my friends." Salem said as she tried to pull away from him.

" Let her the fuck go, now." Daryl snapped again.

" I will. After I speak to her. My mother and I want to have a few words with her. Don't worry, Man, alright? Your girl is safe with me." Gareth said. " Now step back before you cause her pain." Daryl locked eyes with Gareth, sending daggers through his bright blues. Sweat wet his hair in his anger. His muscles tensed but he didn't move.

" Daryl..." Salem whined when she felt Gareth's hand tighten on her arm.

" What are you going to do, Daryl?" Gareth asked. " Step back and allow me to have a chat with your girlfriend or cause me to hurt her? This can be easy, really, it can be." Daryl jerked his eyes to her face. She nodded slowly to him.

" I'll be okay." She whispered. " I'll be okay." Daryl's jaw tighten and his frown deepen. " I'm not a victim." She said to him and herself.

Daryl started to take a step back by stopped. Could he do this? He had let Beth be taken from him and he had yet to see her again. Carol was gone, could he let Salem be taken away from him too? He let he watch another person he had started to bond with be taken away from him? Something in her eyes made up his mind for him. A toughness settled in her gaze and along her body. Without her saying a word, Daryl knew what she was thinking. If the shit hit the fan, she was going to fight with everything in her and she needed Daryl to let her do this. She needed Daryl to let her handle this so she could regain something. Daryl's hands went into two tight fists but he took a step back and into the darken trailer. A second later, the door was slammed shut, cutting him off from Salem.

" Where are you taking me?" Salem asked As Gareth started leading her away.

" Just where I told you boyfriend I was taking you. To talk to my mother and I." Gareth answered. "You said something that hit home with my mom, Mary, and I and we'd like to learn more about it."

" And what's that? That you killed my brothers?" Salem asked. Gareth smirked before he laughed.

" No. Tell me something, how did someone like you end up with someone like that Daryl? You two look completely different." He said. Now, it was Salem's turn to frown. She clamped her mouth shut and stared straight ahead of her, making him laugh again. " I get it. This world now, it changes people. We tend to do things we won't usually do." Salem felt Gareth suddenly grow serious beside her. " We do things to survive. Things we would have never thought we'd do before. For you, maybe that would be dating someone who looks like Daryl."

" What the hell does that mean?" Salem asked.

" Well, he looks a bit rough around the edges, a bit...violent. Like he could kill someone and not think twice. He's dangerous." Gareth said.

" You don't even know him." Salem said.

" I know his type and that's all I need to know." Gareth reached out and grabbed a door handle. He swung it open then gestured for her to step inside the room.


	11. Chapter 11

*** Please Review!***

Once inside the building, the door swung shut behind her, making Salem jump and look behind her. She frowned and felt dread spread through her. The last place she wanted to be was locked up in a room, locked up anywhere really. She wanted to fly out the room and run back to Daryl. Salem was taken back by how just being with him put her at ease. Four days, that was how long she had known him. Four days ago, Joe had brought Daryl to the warehouse. Three days ago, he had brought her sleeping pills and she had ground them up and given them to Joe. One day ago, she had killed Len. Four days and yet, it felt like months and months ago that she had first laid her eyes on her savior.

" Hello. Will you have a seat?" Salem turned and looked back to see the woman from the grill sitting on a old style, faded red couch. She smiled at Salem and there was a moment when Salem thought her smile had been kind at one time. She had a sweet face and might have been calming to some people but all Salem felt was tension. Her skin was on edge and almost humming with the need to be away from these people and this town. The hair on the back of her head felt like it was standing on edge and her stomach was flipping around.

" I don't want too." Salem said.

" Boys, please leave us alone." Mary said, smiling at her son and the two men with him. " I think the young lady will be more comfortable if it's just us girls."

" We'll be outside the room." Gareth said before he and the others walked across the room. Salem heard his warning clearly. We will be outside the room, with our guns. Don't try anything.

" Please, sit. I won't hurt you." Mary said after the door to the room opened then closed. Salem slowly walked over to the couch and perched on the edge, ready to spring up if she needed too.

" What do you want from me?" She asked. Mary settled back into the couch. She gathered her shawl around and hugged it close to her body like she was cold even though it was over a hundred degrees outside.

" You have a story to tell. A story I want to hear and share with you." Mary said with what was supposed to be another gentle smile.

" I have nothing to share with you." Salem snapped. Mary just kept her smile and it unnerved Salem. It made her uncomfortable. She had learned, thanks to Joe, that people who smile all the time are hiding their nasty side.

" Your words hit me hard. You said you didn't live through being chained to a pole and raped to be killed here." Mary said.

" I also said you killed my brothers." Salem replied. Mary blinked but the smile didn't leave her face.

" What happen to you? How did you end up chained to a pole, being raped? Was it the men you came here with?" She asked. Salem shook her head and pursed her lips together in anger. How could anyone think that way of Daryl?

" You think I was talking about Daryl? No, Daryl saved me. He would never touch a woman like that." Salem defended.

" Then what happen to you? If you tell me your story, I will find out about your brothers." Mary promised. Hope blossomed in Salem's chest. Information on her brothers was all she wanted in that moment, well that and to get Daryl and the others out of this town. She swallowed and sat back on the couch, looking away from Mary.

" I lived in a warehouse with my dad and brothers. My brothers disappeared one day and never came back. Another group found us though, a group of men. My dad and I took them in. We thought they wanted help." She said softly as she stared at the old, cement floor.

" What did they do to you?" Mary urged. The pain of her dad's death hit Salem hard suddenly. Her throat threaten to clogged and her eyes burned. Salem rolled her eyes and looked to the ceiling to try and hold the tears in. She would not cry in front of the woman. She was done crying.

" They killed my dad." She cleared her throat and gave her head a shake while forcing herself to tighten up. " They killed him and kept me chained to different poles in the warehouse. The leader would use me like a reward for good behavior. If he thought one of the members of his gang fought harder than the others, looted the best or hunted the most amount of food, they were rewarded with me."

" Oh my sweet girl..." Mary said quietly.

" Joe would unchain me from the main pole and move me around the warehouse to wherever he needed me to be, his room, the bathroom or one of the men's room. He would make me shower and use the bathroom in front of him. I had to change in front of him. If I fought him or the others, they would beat me and rape me anyway. Shit." Salem finished with a whisper as a few tears travelled down her cheeks. She brought her hands up and swept her fingers over her skin to clear the tears away.

" You said Daryl saved you." Mary said. Salem nodded.

" One day, Joe brought Daryl back with them. I guess they found him in the woods and he was alone. That night, Joe gave me to Daryl. He chained me in the room he had given Daryl. He locked us up together but Daryl didn't do anything." Salem looked down at her hands as she clasped them and let them rest on her lap onto of the stretch pad and the vest she had been carrying. She smiled at the thought of her savior.

" And he didn't hurt you." Mary said. Again, Salem nodded.

" He didn't touch me. I knew Joe was listening so Daryl helped me trick him into thinking Daryl was raping me but he didn't. He refused too." Salem paused to draw in air through her nose before she looked at Mary finally. " He let me sleep in the bed where the others always made me sleep on the floor. He spoke to me like I was a human and not a sex slave. In the morning, he went into the bathroom with me so Joe won't touch me. He kept his back while I showered. It was the first shower I had had in months where I wasn't touched and beat." Mary smiled again.

" He is your savior." She said.

TWDTWDTWD

" Where did you take Salem?" Daryl snapped as Gareth and a few of the members of the town lead him, Rick, Glenn and Bob through more rooms in the building.

" Oh I won't worry about her." Gareth said. " Your girl is just fine. My mother is just taking to her."

TWDTWDTWD

" He is. The next night it was the same. He didn't touch me and he let me take the bed. He even brought me food and vitamins to take. Joe only gave me enough to keep me going but not have a lot of energy. The next day, Joe won't him in the bathroom with me. He was pissed that I didn't ask for him in the shower the day before and he tried to choke me out. He hit me and raped me. I didn't tell Daryl but I knew he knew." A memory flashed through Salem.

She had walked out of the kitchen with breakfast, her face throbbing from Joe's fist. The flesh between her legs burning from his assault. He had been more savage then usual, punishing her from taking her shower with Daryl the day before. She saw Daryl staring at her neck. She had seen anger darken his eyes and settle his mouth into a frown as he took in her bruises. She had been so embarrassed that she couldn't look at him again.

" He was angry then?" Mary asked.

" Yeah. After breakfast, he gave me a bottle of sleeping pills he had found. He told me to drug Joe and his guys. I did so that night and Daryl and I took off. He saved my life that night. I know Len or some of the others would have beat me to death because of him, there's no doubt in my mind. On the road, we found Rick, his son and Michonne. They were members of Daryl's old group. We were eating later when Joe found us. He and his men. They were going to rape and kill me, take Michonne and chain her in the warehouse, rape and kill Carl then kill Daryl and Rick but we over powered them. We killed them to save ourselves." Salem said.

" Sometimes, it's what has to be done." Mary said. For a few seconds, Mary smiled as she and Salem stared at each other.

" What is that room where you had my brothers' things?" Salem asked. Now, it was Mary's turn to sigh.

" You and I aren't so different. See, I lived here with my family and some friends when a group of men found us here, just like you and your dad. They beat us, raped our women, raped me. We killed them to save ourselves." Salem's hands went into two fist as she frown and felt her anger stir.

" That was not my brothers." She snapped.

" No. It wasn't. We didn't keep anything from them." Mary confirmed.

" Why do you have my brothers' things?" Salem asked.

" In this world, we do what we have too and now you understand that. We are hunters too, in a way. We have people here we have to take care of. Most likely, your brothers were found in the woods and brought here." A cold washed over Salem.

" What do you mean found?" She asked.

" We find people or people find us. We then use those people to survive." Mary said. Salem's heart slowed down as her arms grew heavy with fear. The air seem to thicken around her and she had a hard time breathing.

" How?" She asked. Mary smiled again.

" If they have guns and bullets, we take them." She said.

" And what do you do with the people?" Salem asked.

" Did you see any animals around here when you were walking through the buildings? You saw the grill and you know I was cooking but did you see any animals?" Mary asked. Horror hit Salem like a ton of bricks. Acid bile rushed up her throat. She moved back away from Mary, standing on shaky legs. She whined as her heart started to pound.

" Did you...Did you..." Her voice was coated in tears she didn't know she was crying. " EAT my brothers..." Even as she said it, Salem couldn't believe it. It just couldn't be true. Even in this world, no one would do that.

" We all do what we need too to survive." Mary said.

" Did you kill and eat my brothers!" Salem yelled, her voice echoed through the mostly bare room. Mary only smiled.

" You know what it's like to have to live. You are just like we are. You are a survivor. You do what it takes to live through tough times."

" I am NOTHING like you!" Salem yelled.

" We honored those men, your brothers. We took what they had and used it and what we couldn't, the things you found, we put in our room. We wrote their names down and the dates they served us so that we can always remember them and honor them." Mary said. " You could join us, you and your savior. You could live here, doing what you need to to survive. You are strong, he is a fighter."

" You ATE my brothers! You hunted them and ate them like they were deer!" Salem shouted at the same time the room was suddenly rocked by the force of an explosion. Mary jumped out as the both of them looked up at windows by the ceiling. " What was that..." Salem asked more to herself.

" Someone is attacking us. We have to go." Mary grabbed Salem by the wrist and started to tugging her to run with her. Salem swung around and drilled her fists into the back of Mary's head. Mary let go of Salem to grab at her wound and look towards Salem in shock.

" Fuck you!" Salem yelled. She yanked out Samuel's pocket knife and pointed it at Mary. " Fuck you!" She yelled away as she backed away from her.

" Come with me! Let me save you! Let me be your savior!" Mary yelled as she rubbed her head.

" Stay away from me!" Salem yelled before she spun around and took off running towards the sound of gun fire outside.

The scene outside was one of complete chaos. There was smoke everywhere. People were screaming, running and firing their weapons. The dead was shuffling along, grabbing this person or that. Salem pressed herself to the side of the building, moving along as fast as she could while managing to dodge bullets. She had to find Daryl and the others and get them out of the crazy town. She needed to be his savior this time.

Salem ducked and hid as she moved through the town. She bit down her horror and her urge to scream when a man tripped and was unable to get up before the dead descended on him. She squeezed her eyes shut as he screamed with blood blossoming around him. She hurried on, using barrels and old dumpsters to hide her presences from everyone, living and dead. Rotting flesh and spilled red blood cells perfumed the air, making it hard for her to breath. She choked but managed to stay quiet.

" How the hell am I going to find him..." Salem whispered to herself as she hurried along. Would he still be in the trailer? Could he be in one the buildings? The town was so big, Salem wasn't sure what to do but she knew where she was going to start looking. She was steadily making her way towards the place she had last seen Daryl at.

" We need to find Salem and get the fuck out of here." At the sound of his rough voice, Salem's heart went into overdrive. She turned the corner to see Daryl standing in front of a young guy, one hand on his chest as he peered around to view the scene in front of him. Excitement burst inside Salem and she raced forward.

" Daryl!" She yelled, catching his attention. Daryl stood up straight and only a second to think before Salem reached him.

To Daryl's surprise and shock, she launched herself into the air and into his body, dropping the stretch book and vest she had been carrying. Her arms went around his neck at the same time her legs circled his waist. On impulse, Daryl grabbed at her thighs to keep her steady. Her hands flew up and into his hair and her mouth smashed into his. Daryl's mouth opened in a gasp and opened the door for her small tongue. It flew into his mouth, twisted around his tongue once before she pulled back and hugged him.

" We have to go. They eat people here. They ate my brothers." Salem whispered. She struggled against him, just long enough for Daryl to loosen his hold on her and allow her to slide down to the ground. On their own, as she moved, his hands moved up her body to rest against her hips. She stared at him. " We can't stay here." Daryl nodded.

" We gettin our people first." He said.


End file.
